Gábor Kósa is a percussionist, pianist, organ
ist, harpsichordist, conductor, and composer.
Born in 1950 in Budapest into a musical family,
his father was composer and pianist György
Kósa, a student of Béla Bartók. He studied at
the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, as well
as the Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende
Kunst, Stuttgart. He has enjoyed continuous
and unparalleled success in his career as a
performing artist since its inception in 1975. He
initially started as a percussion and fortepiano
soloist with the National Philharmonic Orches
tra; later on, it was keyboard instruments that
would play an increasingly important role in his career. He has specialized
in song accompaniment, improvisation, continuo, and the organ parts of
orchestral works. He has made more than forty recordings (Hungaroton,
Naxos), and performs regularly to much critical acclaim in both Hungary and
abroad. His composing career started at the New Musical Studio. Many of
his works have been published by Editio Musica Budapest. Joining the New
Music Studio, and he is a versatile composer interested in experimental music.
Joining the New Music Studio as a composer was a seminal starting point in
his career. He was the first composer in Hungary to write music for computer.
He carried out sound system research at the Institute of Musicology at the
Hungarian Academy of Sciences, and his new sound system is dominant
within his oeuvre. In the so-named Kósa sound system, which originally
started as an avant-garde experiment, he creates kinds of tonally-functional,
classically inspired works. In 2007, he was awarded the Silver Cross of Merit of
the Republic of Hungary.
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
Csepeli rapszódia/Csepel Rhapsody (2012), concert band
Concerto for Guitar, No. 2 (2015), guitar, str. orch.
A Bú és Vígság percei/Minutes of Sadness and Joy (2020), str. orch.
Kaleidoscope [Earlier: 1956 Ouverture] (2020), symph. orch.
ORATORIC WORKS
Mennyből az angyal/Angel from Heaven (2006), soloists, SATB, symph. orch.
Lib: Sándor Márai
Istar Pokoljárása/The Hell Process of Istar (2007), S, MS, T, SATB, symph. orch.
Lib: Sándor Weöres
Karácsonyi ének/Christmas Song (2014), soloists, SATB, symph. orch.
Lib: Géza Gárdonyi
CHAMBER WORKS
Origo (1973), mixed chbr. trio Pub: UMP EMB
HÍD vibrafonra és hangszalagra/BRIDGE for Vibraphone and Quadrophone
Tape (1979)
PAX 85 (1985), split aluminum bells
Music for 5 Conductors and Percussions (1987)
FURulya-bráCSA duó/Duo for Recorder and Viola (2008)
Haiku Calendar (2009), mar., harp
Ut queant (2013), rec., org./5 rec. Pub: EMB
Duo-Sonata for Marimba and Harp (2014)
String Quartet, No. 2 (2018)
VOCAL WORKS
Motto (1995), SATB Lib: Anonymus
Two Prayers (1997), SATB Lib: Mansi and Hungarian Folk Poetry
Credo (2003), female chr.
Régi újságok/Old Newspapers (2004), female chr. Lib: Sándor Weöres
Üzenet egykori iskolámba/Message to My Former School (2004), SATB
Lib: Endre Ady
A walesi bárdok/The Bards of Wales (2006), Bar, male chr. Lib: János Arany
Az Út és Erény dalai/Songs of the Way and Virtue (2007), B, pno. Lib: Lao-ce,
Sándor Weöres Pub: Editio Bernardus
Három tercett/Three Terzettos (2007), solo voices Lib: Lao-ce, Sándor Weöres
Derengés „nagyon vegyes” karra/Dawn (2011), girls’ chr., boy’s chr., chbr. chr.
Lib: Sándor Weöres
A bűnös város/The Guilty City (2016), male chr. Lib: Biblical
SOLO WORKS
Hoquetus for Harpsichord (1974)
Hegedűdarab/Piece for Violin (1992)
Sonata for Marimba (1999) Pub: Akkord
Cimbalom-fantázia/Cimbalom-Fantasy (2009)
Ballade for Marimba-Solo (2013)
Gitárka-madárka/Guitar-Bird (2015), guitar
Túl talán a Fisztulán/Beyond Maybe the Fistula (2016), db.
ELECTROACOUSTIC WORKS
Simphonia hungarorum (1992), electronica
Ló-ének/Horse-Song – In the New Sound System (1995), B, 3 boy voices,
synth., electronics
PIECES IN THE KÓSA-SOUND SYSTEM FOR METALLOPHONE
AND SYNTHESIZER (2009–2021)
Suite in the Tone 4
Variations, No. 1–3
Finger Exercises
Sonatas, No. 1–17
Hommage à F. Schubert
Hommage à F. Liszt
Sarabande 2018
Menuette
Andante
Adagio
Forduló/Turn
Ámokséta/Amok Walking
Almost in C Minor
Elegy
Fantasy
Sz. F. emlékére/For the Memory of Sz. F.
Kardal/Chorus
Keringető/Circulating
Százas/Hundred
PEDAGOGICAL WORKS
Divertimento ifjúsági szimfonikus zenekarra/Divertimento for Youth
Symphony Orchestra (1988)
6+4 kezes zongorára és ütőhangszerekre/For Pianoforte 6+4 Hands and
Percussions (1990)
Toccata Dávidnak orgonára/Toccata to David for Organ (1990)
Scherzo for Youth String Orchestra (2005)
March for Youth Brass Band (2008)
Septett for Clarinets and Saxophones (2008)
Trio for 3 Oboes (2008)
Fagottas – Bassooning for 2 Bassoons (2010) Pub: Akkord
Fuvolány for Flute (2014)
FILM MUSIC, RADIO PLAY
Elvándorlás/Souvenir (1985) Dir: Degryse Luc
Sivatagi nemzedék/Desert Generation – Feature Film (1991) Dir: György Halmy
Csutoros Sándor/Sándor Csutoros – Film Music (1992) Dir: Sándor Kardos
Konrád – Animation Film Dir: Degryse Luc
Isten városa/The City of God – Film Music
A kóbor sziget/Stray Island – Radio Play Dir: János Simonyi
TRANSCRIPTIONS
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus: Piano Sonata in F Major (K. 332), mar.
Mozart, Wolfgang Amadeus: Adagio and Rondo for Glass Harmonica, Flute,
Oboe, Viola and Cello (K. 617), vibr., fl., ob., vla., vlc.
Bach, Johann Sebastian: Violin Partitas and Suites (BWV 1001–1006), vibr.
Bach, Johann Sebastian: Cello Suites (BWV 1007–1012), mar.
Schumann, Robert: Nachtstücke, vibr., mar., vlc., db.
Wagner, Richard: Parsifal-Overture, vibr.
Mendelssohn-Bartholdy, Felix: Rondo capriccioso, fl., vibr., mar., vlc.
Haydn, Joseph: Pieces for Flötenuhr, fl., vibr.
