Bálint Kovács
Bálint Kovács
About
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.

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

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


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

Ensemble BachWerkVokal Salzburg

tone:scape

Blockflute Formation

Ensemble Cameo
