From 1975 to 1979, Géza Gémesi studied
composition with István Fekete Győr and
Barnabás Dukay at the Béla Bartók Secondary
School of Music in Budapest. From 1979 until
1984, he attended the Liszt Academy of Music
in Budapest studying composition under the
tutelage of Sándor Szokolay, József Soproni,
László Dobszay and András Ligeti. Whilst there,
he also studied conducting with Ervin Lukács
until 1989. He was the permanent conductor of
the Miskolc Youth Orchestra from 1987 to 1994,
as well as the Eger Symphony Orchestra from
1989 to 1995. Since 1996, he has been the artistic
director and conductor of the Budapest-Highlands Chamber Orchestra and
the BHKZ Academy. He was the permanent conductor of the Békéscsaba
Symphony Orchestra from 1998 until 2007. He was also artistic director of the
Balatonboglár Contemporary Art Workshop (from 2000 until 2003), and the
Rondino Festival (from 2004 until 2009). Since 2013, he has been a leader of
the BHKZ Edition. He obtained a scholarship from Sir Georg Solti in 1986
and won a Soros Music Prize in 1998. He has conducted world premieres of
many contemporary Hungarian composers’ works (Dukay, J. Sári, L. Sáry, J.
Vajda, Vidovszky, etc.) as well as Hungarian premieres of innumerable works
by composers including Brahms, Britten, Jeney, Kurtág, Messiaen, etc. He
gave Hungary’s first church performance of Berlioz’ Te Deum.
G,Gy
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
The Heart-Beat of the Time (1986–), chbr. orch.
Clods (1992–1994), 4 perc., str. orch. Pub: BHKZ Edition SR: HCD 31940
Pavane pour une Infante défunte (1996) SR: HCD 31940
“Jesu bleibet meine Freude…” (1996, 2002), chbr. orch.
Áthallások (2013), str. orch.
Hymn (2013), symph. orch.
On the Threshold of Existence (2014), str. orch.
Dawn – Album Leaf to Kurtág (2016), 4 perc., str. orch. Pub: BHKZ Edition
CHAMBER WORKS
Duo per flauti (1981) Pub: BHKZ Edition SR: HCD 31940
Quartetto per percussioni (1984) Pub: BHKZ Edition SR: SLPX 12945, HCD 31940
Church at Dawn (1986), 2 vl.-vla./2 vl.-vlc./vl., vla., vlc.
A Portrait of István Mácsai (1986), 4 cl. SR: SLPX 31144, HCD 31940
The Charioteer (1986–) 6 perc.
World of Tones/Bells – Preparatory Course (1995), pno. 4 hands SR: HCD 31940
Toccata (1996), perc.
“Jesu bleibet meine Freude…” (1996), pno. 6/12 hands
The Childhood of the Charioteer (1999), 6 perc.
Lullaby of the Copperdick Owl (1998–1999), 5 perc.
Comments on Via Crucis (2019), 4 vlc.
30 Vexilla Regis (2019), vlc., pno.
VOCAL AND CHORAL WORKS
Church at Dawn (1986), T, 2 vl.-vla./2 vl.-vlc/vl., vla., vlc. Lib: József Márkus
SR: SLPX 31144, HCD 31940
Alleluia magna (2014), T
If snow, Junior! (2014), 6 male solo voices
Alleluia. Ostende nobis (1995), 3 solo voices, SATB SR: HCD 31940
SOLO WORKS
Litania quieta (1985), A fl.
Canon on the Name of Benjamin Rajeczky (1986), pno. Pub: Magyar Zene
[Hungarian Music] 1987/1
“Album leaf…” (2018), timp./pno.
“…Balde…” (2020), db.
TRANSCRIPTIONS
Erkel, Ferenc: Bánk bán – Preludio, str.
Janáček, Leoš: Smrt, str.
Kurtág, György: …aus tiefer Not… – un message à Madeleine Santschi 80, fl., str.
—: Hommage à Szervánszky (Silence), str.
—: …humble regard sur Olivier Messiaen, str.
—: Ligatura for Ligeti, str.
Ligeti, György: Musica ricercata – V., VIII., str.
Liszt, Ferenc: Stabat Mater speciosa (Hymnus) [Christus], SW 3/3, str.
—: O filii et filiae (Hymnus Paschalis) [Christus], SW 3/13, S, chr., 2 vl., vla., vlc., str.
—: Der 23. Psalm, SW 15/1, T, MS, harp, str.
—: Weihnachtslied (O heilige Nacht), SW 49, T, vla., vlc./2 vl., vla., str./T,
vla., vlc., pno.
—: Via Crucis, SW 53, 2 S, MS, A, T, Bar, B, SATB, str.
—: Via Crucis, SW 53, str.
—: O sacrum convivium, SW 58, A, str.
—: Pax vobiscum, SW 64, str.
—: Salve Regina, SW 66, str.
—: Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh!, SW 75/2, 4 vlc.
—: Licht! Mehr Licht!, SW 84, 4 vlc.
—: La lugubre gondola, SW 134, vl., vlc., hn., harp, str.
—: Am Grabe Richard Wagners, SW 135, harp, str.
—: Pastorale [Années de Pèlerinage, première année – Suisse], SW 160/3, str.
—: Sposalizio [Années de Pèlerinage, deuxième année – Italie], SW 161/1, str., perc.
—: Il penseroso [Années de Pèlerinage, deuxième année – Italie], SW 161/2,
pno., vl., vlc., str.
—: (– Jules de Swert:) Consolations, SW 172/1, 4, vlc., str.
—: Ave Maria I. [Harmonies poétiques et religieuses], SW 173/2, str.
—: Pater noster II. [Harmonies poétiques et religieuses], SW 173/5, 4 vlc., db.
—: Adeste fideles – Marsch der Heiligen drei Könige [Weihnachtsbaum],
SW 186/4, str.
—: Resignazione, SW 187/a (Erste Fassung:), 2 vl., vla., vlc. (Zweite Fassung:), str.
—: In festo transfigurationis Domini nostri Jesu Christi, SW 188, harp, str.
—: Nuages gris, SW 199, str. Pub: KZM
—: R. W. – Venezia, SW 201, str.
—: Recueillement, SW 204, vlc./vla./harp, str./vlc./pno.,vla./pno.
—: Stephan Széchenyi [Historical Hungarian Portraits], SW 205/1, str.
—: Alexander Petőfi [Historical Hungarian Portraits], SW 205/6, str.
—: Trauervorspiel und Trauermarsch, SW 206, str. Pub: KZM
—: Unstern! Sinistre, disastro, SW 208, str. Pub: KZM
—: Csardas macabre, SW 224, str.
—: 2 Csardas, SW 225, str. Pub: KZM
—: Csardas obstinée [2 Csardas], SW 225/2, pno., vl., vlc.
—: Rhapsodie hongroise, No. 18, SW 244/18, str.
—: На прошание – русскя песня, SW 251, str.
—: Andante religioso, SW 261/a, str.
—: Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh!, SW 306, MS, str.
—: Ave Maria IV., SW 341, MS, str.
—: Le Crucifix, SW 342, MS, str.
—: Sancta Caecilia, SW 343, MS, str.
—: O Meer in Abendstrahl, SW 344, S, A, str.
—: The Love of the Dead Poet, SW 349, rec., str.
—: Die drei Zigeuner, SW 374, MS, vl., str.
—: Ave Maria IV., SW 545, str.
—: (–Bach, Johann Sebastian) „Aus tiefer Noth schrei ich zu dir” (BWV
38/1), SW 660/2, str.
—: Ungarns Gott, SW 674, str.
—: Ave maris stella, SW 680, str./MS str./MS, 2 vl., vla., vlc.
—: Ave Maria II., SW 681, str./MS str./MS, 2 vl., vla., vlc.
Messiaen, Olivier: Le Banquet celeste, str.
Schnittke, Alfred: Concerto для хора – II., str.
Schumann, Robert: Sechs Fugen über den Namen BACH, Op. 60, str.
Szokolay, Sándor: Religious Songs, S, str.
Szőnyi, Erzsébet: Aquarelles, str.
Wagner, Richard: Elegie, str.
—: Träume [Wesendonk-Lieder], MS, str.
RECONSTRUCTIONS
Liszt, Ferenc: Eine Faust-Symphonie, SW 108, 2 pno.
—: Eine Faust-Symphonie, SW 108, symph. orch.
—: Les quatre élémens, SW 80, symph. orch.
