Bálint Kovács

Bálint Kovács

About

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Bálint Kovács is a Hungarian recorder player, baroque bassoonist, music educator, and versatile performer. His artistic excellence is reflected in international competition successes, including first prize at the International Recorder Competition in Tel Aviv in 2022, in the category for professional soloists. His joyful and experimental approach to music is evident in both his artistic work and his teaching. In addition to his work as a performer of various musical styles, he is a highly organised individual with a strong interest in the analytical aspects of music and pedagogy. 

His studies at reowned institutions such as the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and the Mozarteum University Salzburg have provided him with a deep understanding of instrumental techniques and both historical and contemporary performance practices. 

He performs as a soloist, chamber musician, and orchestral member – both on the recorder and the baroque bassoon. His pedagogical work includes training professional recorder players at the Freiburg University of Music, as well as educating future recorder teachers at the Upper Austrian State Music School System.

His projects complement each other in terms of instrumentation, function and repertoire  – ranging from early Baroque to contemporary and self-composed music.

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Ensemble Cameo

Ensemble Cameo, established in 2018, is an international ensemble specializing in early music and comprised of talented, motivated artists. The members initially met at the Institute of Early Music at the University Mozarteum, where they formed the ensemble and nurtured their musical abilities collaboratively. Guided by renowned figures in the European early music scene – including Dorothee Oberlinger, Mayumi Hirasaki, Reinhard Goebel, and Marco Testori – they have cultivated a close-knit approach to making music, delving into diverse repertoire and musical styles. Cameo has already performed at prestigious Early Music festivals, such as the Festwochen der Alten Musik and the Kultursommer Wien. The ensemble is deeply committed to explore different colours of music. 

Photo: ©Michael Brauer Erzählende Photographie 2021

Ensemble BachWerkVokal Salzburg

Bálint Kovács is a member of the Ensemble BachWerkVokal Salzburg as a baroque bassoonist. The ensemble, led by Gordon Safari, specializes in performing the vocal compositions of Johann Sebastian Bach with a combination of choir and orchestra. The group regularly performs in its own concert series in Salzburg, and they also accept invitations to international festivals, as well as record music.

tone:scape

The tone:scape ensemble comprises five young musicians who met in Salzburg and quickly formed an innovative and expressive formation. Their performances feature delicate expressions of emotions, rapid tempos, and moments of lyrical intimacy. This dynamic mix invites the listener into a thrilling world of contrasts: chiaroscuro, the interplay of light and shadow. The ensemble’s musical interpretation of chiaroscuro takes listeners on a journey that includes both original works and their own arrangements. The tone:scape ensemble was awarded first prize at the Musikfestspiele Potsdam Sanssouci competition in 2022.

Photo: ©Tzu-Yu Yang, 2021

Projects

Simplicissimus Ensemble

The main focus of the collaboration between the Simplicissimus and Bálint Kovács is to promote the original baroque music literature, which was originally composed for the recorder. They organize and perform concerts throughout Hungary, showcasing the beauty of this music. Since 2018, they have also been providing musical accompaniment for the decades-old tradition of the Baroque Wedding in Győr. The leader of the Simplicissimus Ensemble is Zsombor Németh.

Teaching activity

Teaching activity

Bálint Kovács also holds a degree in music education as a recorder and baroque bassoon teacher. Currently, he teaches within the State Music School System of Upper Austria. In addition to music school education, he is also active in adult education, participating in the artistic training of recorder teachers within institutional frameworks. His primary goal is to impart the joy and inspiration of making music to his students. Right from the first lesson, he encourages his students to engage in improvisation and compose their own musical pieces. In addition to the pedagogical methods commonly used in Austria, he also incorporates elements of the well-known Kodály method from Hungary into his teaching approach. For Bálint, teaching is not just a job but a complementary activity to performing in concerts. He is enthusiastic about helping his students unfold their musical abilities and experience the pleasures of making music together.

Photo: ©Bálint Hrotkó, 2022

 

Teaching activity

Solistical Performances, Multi-disciplinary Collaborations, and Contemporary Music

Bálint has collaborated as a soloist with symphonic and chamber orchestras, and is always eager to explore new opportunities to create unique and engaging musical experiences. He has a strong interest in developing new performance formats that blend different art forms together. Bálint also enjoys the extended sound world of contemporary music and participates in projects that focus on newly composed works.

Photo: ©Nika Brunová, 2022

Ensemble Moiré

Moiré's vision is to create a vibrant platform that brings art to life in dialogue with the most essential issues of our time. The ensemble focuses on integrating diverse art forms, enabling a multidimensional experience through the lens of contemporary artistic expression. Our projects are designed to be accessible to a broad audience. By blending traditional concert culture with innovative, multidisciplinary approaches, we strive to engage an open-minded community, as our performances transcend the boundaries of the familiar. In the digital age, we seek to foster meaningful, personal experiences that connect and inspire. Our vision is to shape art and culture in a way that not only entertains, but also encourages reflection and promotes active exchange.
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Ensemble BachWerkVokal Salzburg

Bálint Kovács is the baroque bassoonist of BachWerkVokal Salzburg, an internationally acclaimed ensemble under the artistic direction of Gordon Safari. Specializing in the vocal works of Johann Sebastian Bach, the ensemble unites a professional choir with a period-instrument orchestra to deliver performances of exceptional depth and authenticity. BachWerkVokal curates its own celebrated concert series in Salzburg and is regularly invited to prestigious music festivals across Europe. The ensemble’s recordings have been met with enthusiastic praise from the international music press and have earned nominations for major awards, including the Opus Klassik, the German Record Critics’ Award (Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik), and the ICMA Awards. Renowned for its artistic precision and innovative interpretive style, BachWerkVokal offers historically informed yet emotionally resonant performances—inviting audiences into a vivid, contemporary experience of Bach’s music.
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tone:scape

The ensemble tone:scape consists of five young professional musicians who met in Salzburg and quickly formed an innovative, versatile, and expressive group. Their performances are marked by finely nuanced emotions, electrifying tempi, and moments of lyrical intimacy. The ensemble’s sonic innovation arises from the wide range of instruments featured in their concerts. This dynamic blend draws the audience into a fascinating world of contrasts—chiaroscuro, the interplay of light and shadow. In their musical interpretation of chiaroscuro, tone:scape combines original works with their own arrangements, creating truly unique listening experiences. In 2022, the ensemble was awarded first prize at the Potsdam Sanssouci Music Festival Competition and has since performed at renowned venues including the Wiener Konzerthaus.

Blockflute Formation

Blockflute Formation has crafted a large and resonant sound body from the distinctive timbre of the recorder. The ensemble performs on instruments of all sizes—from sub-great bass to sopranino—creating a richly layered soundscape. This recorder orchestra is a project of the Upper Austrian Music School System and is made up of its dedicated teaching staff. Under the artistic direction of Bálint Kovács, the formation was founded in 2018 by Andrea Guttmann. The project’s aims include strengthening the professional recorder community, fostering exchange among its members, and advancing skills in recorder orchestra playing. At its heart, however, lies the joy of shared music-making and the collaborative exploration and presentation of sophisticated repertoire. By embracing the recorder’s remarkable versatility and the diversity of sound it enables, the ensemble seeks to captivate a broad audience—especially young recorder players—and offer them a fresh and inspiring listening experience.
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Ensemble Cameo

Ensemble Cameo is a young, international ensemble that is deeply dedicated to historical performance practice, particularly focusing on the music of the 17th and 18th centuries. The ensemble does not shy away from adaptations and arrangements tailored to its refined instrumental setup. Inspired by the sonic challenge of this configuration, Cameo works with nuanced interpretations and explores new sound colors and articulation possibilities. The members of the ensemble came together during their studies at the University of Mozarteum Salzburg, where they were inspired by renowned personalities of the Baroque music scene such as Dorothee Oberlinger, Mayumi Hirasaki, Reinhard Goebel, and Marco Testori. The name "Cameo" (Italian) refers to an intricately crafted relief made from a precious gemstone – a metaphor for the detailed musical interpretation of the ensemble.
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Simplicissimus Ensemble

The long-standing collaboration between the Simplicissimus Ensemble and Bálint Kovács aims to introduce the often lesser-known original Baroque repertoire for recorder. In addition, the collaboration with the ensemble focuses on Neobaroque and historically inspired works, including original compositions by Bálint Kovács. Since 2018, the historically informed Simplicissimus Ensemble has been providing musical accompaniment for the "Baroque Wedding of the City of Győr" festival. The ensemble is conducted by Zsombor Németh (DLA). The name of the ensemble is a tribute to the German composer and writer Daniel Speer, who published under the pseudonym "Hungarian or Dacian Simplicissimus" in the 17th century. In the spirit of its namesake, the ensemble embarks on a musical journey through epochs, styles, and cultures – from art music to entertainment music and folk music.
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