Katalin Szalai was born in 1974. She studied
composition with György Orbán at the Liszt
Academy of Music in Budapest, graduating in
2003. Following this, she taught music at both
elementary and secondary music schools. Her
interests are broad and span a variety of areas,
including theater, psychology, and color theory.
She received her MA in theater studies in 2013
from the University of Pannonia and has taught
at the University of Debrecen’s Faculty of Music
since 2019. She has been a recipient of the
Zoltán Kodály Scholarship three times (2004,
2005, 2007), as well as having won a number
of awards in composers’ competitions, such as: the Reichenau Competition
(2nd Prize, 1999); the LFZF Opera Competition (1st Prize, 2000); the LFZF
Composers’ Competition (2nd Prize, 2001); the Foundation for Talented
Hungarians (1st Prize, 2006), and the János Arany Memorial Year Competition
(2nd Prize, 2018).
OPERAS
Le donne furiose – Chamber Opera (2000, rev. 2017) Lib: József Szalai
SR: comp. hp.
The Transposed Heads – Chamber Opera (2020–2021) Lib: Eszter Diána
Mátrai (after Thomas Mann)
ORCHESTRAL WORKS
Pezzo sinfonico (2003) [Diploma Work]
Moving Pictures – Four Movements for Chamber Orchestra (2015)
Cabrio – Piano Concerto (for students) (2018), pno., str. orch. SR: comp. hp.
CHAMBER WORKS
Capriccio (1995), 3 cl., 2 str. trio, perc.
Wind Quintet (1996)
Allegro e Andante (1998), fl., perc.
String Trio (1999)
Quintetto Duplicato (1999), 2 fl., 2 cl., 2 vl., 2 vlc., mar., vibr.
Movements in Two Minutes (2005), sax. quartet
LEGO (2005), perc. quartet
Chamber Works for Children (2005–2006)
Point Point Point (2007), fl., cl., vl., pno.
Concertino (2007), str. quartet, str. orch. SR: comp. hp.
Pianoring (2008), fl., cl., bs., tr., pno., cimb., vibr., xylophone, str.
In memoriam Petroushka (2010), 2cl., bs. SR: comp. hp.
Sonatina (2013), str. quartet, 2 fl.
Circles (2017), str. quartet SR: comp. hp.
Save As – Variations for Two Pianos (2017)
Hetedhét (2018), fl., pno. SR: comp. hp.
CHORAL WORKS
Pletykázó asszonyok/Tabbies (2007), SATB Lib: Sándor Weöres SR: comp. hp.
Lucalánc (2012), children’s chr. Lib: András Pungor Pub: UMP EMB
Psalm 22 (2013), male chr. SR: comp. hp.
Tantum Ergo (2015), SATB SR: comp. hp.
Canzoniere (2016), female chr. Lib: Petrarca
Sanctus (2017), SATB SR: comp. hp.
Agnus Dei (2018), SATB
Mass (2021–), SATB
VOCAL WORKS
Calendar – Four Songs to the Poems by Miklós Radnóti (1998), S, pno.
Poems by János Pilinszky (2001), S, MS, vl., vlc., perc.
Letter (2003), S, MS, T, B, chbr. orch. Lib: Ágnes Nemes Nagy, János Pilinszky,
Sándor Weöres [Diploma Work] SR: comp. hp.
Psalm 22 (2004), T, pno.
Say (2005), T, vl. Lib: Sándor Kányádi SR: comp. hp.
Magnificat (2005), S, tr./fl., pno.
Mysteries (2005), T, Bar, symph. orch. Lib: Attila József
Four Tale – For Narrator and Chamber Orchestra (2006) SR: comp. hp.
Krampampuli (2012), MS, Bar, vlc. Lib: János Lackfi SR: comp. hp.
Rückert’s Songs (2015), MS, str. trio
Schöne Welt (2016), S, pno. Lib: Friedrich Rückert SR: comp. hp.
Legacy (2017), Bar, pno. Lib: János Arany Pub: Kontrapunkt SR: comp. hp.
Chansons (2017), S, pno. Lib: Anna Szabó T., János Lackfi SR: comp. hp.
Calendar – Twelve Songs to the Poems of Miklós Radnóti (2017), S, MS, pno.
SR: comp. hp.
SOLO WORKS
Six Bagatelles for Intervals (1997), pno. SR: comp. hp.
Distorting Mirrors (1998), pno.
Movement for Guitar (1998)
Cells (1998), B mar.
Piano Works for Children (2005–2006) Pub: EMB
Für Lilla (2006), vlc.
Pianoring Hommage à Márton Barabás (2007–2008), pno. SR: comp. hp.
INCIDENTAL MUSIC
W. B. Yeats: Triptichon Dir: András Dér
Gardrób Art Group – Incidental Music for Tales (2019–2021), chbr. orch.
FILM MUSIC
Servant of God. Dir: András Dér
Superdigital. Dir: István Madarász SR: comp. hp.
Death of Arthur. Dir: Kata Galkó
RADIO PLAYS
Talking with Sheryl Sutton by János Pilinszky Dir: András Dér
PEDAGOGICAL WORKS
Chamber Pieces for Children (2005–2006)
Piano Pieces for Children (2006)
Für Lilla (2011), vlc.
Name Etudes – Rhythmic Speech Exercises for Five Voices (2011)
Alpha (2011), 4 woodwinds, 6 guitars, drums
Poliszok/Greek Towns (2011), female chr., cl., vl., guitars, drums
