János Gonda

János Gonda (11 January 1932 – 10 March 2021) was a Hungarian jazz pianist. Born in Budapest, he studied at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music and earned his diploma first at the musicological and then in the piano department. His activities include composition, concert performances, teaching, and musicological research.

Music

He formed his first band in 1962, and with them made the first LP in the Hungarian "Modern Jazz" series. He led several bands which are featured on anthology albums in the same series. In the late 1960s, he co-led the Gonda-Krusa Quartet with the Polish vibraphonist Richard Kruza. He also recorded with his Gonda Sextet, which he formed in 1972. One of their famous recordings is titled ''Shaman Song''. The sextet consisted of János Gonda (piano, electrical piano), Gábor Balázs (bass), Tamás Berki (vocal, guitar, percussion), Péter Kántor (soprano and alto saxophone), István Dely (conga, percussion) and Gyula Kovács (drums, percussion).

As a composer, he mainly wrote jazz pieces, but also branched out into other musical forms. He wrote film scores, such as for the István Szabó film ''Father'' (''Apa'' 1966), and other incidental music, his dance compositions and symphonic jazz works. The most significant of the last is his ''Australian Concerto'' of 1970. In 1974, he composed a musical entitled ''Pro Urbe''.

Teaching and research

Gonda's theoretical works also focused on jazz. Of his books and studies, the book ''Jazz'', published in 1979, was the best-known.

He was a professor and head of the jazz department at the Béla Bartók Conservatory in Budapest, Hungary, and vice president of the International Jazz Federation.

Gonda was head of the jazz department affiliated with the Association of Hungarian Musicians. From 1965 to 1997, he was leader of the jazz department of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music. Gonda was the artistic director of Tatabánya International Jazz Camp and Tatabánya International Institute of Creative Music Education.

Awards

In 1974, he was awarded the Hungarian Erkel Prize.

Discography

* 1964 ''Modern jazz IV-V. - Anthology 64'' Hungaroton LPX 7279-80 Közreműködő
* 1967 ''Modern jazz VI. - Anthology 67'' Hungaroton LPX 17372 Közreműködő
* 1968 ''Modern jazz VII. - Anthology 68'' Hungaroton LPX 17392 Közreműködő
* 1969 ''Modern jazz VIII. - Anthology 69'' Hungaroton LPX 17406 Közreműködő
* 1976 ''Sámánének'' (Shaman Song) Hungaroton-Pepita
* 1980 ''Vonzások és választósok'' Hungaroton-Pepita
* 1980 ''Solo Piano'' Hungaroton-Pepita
* 1986 ''Keyboard Music'' Hungaroton-Krém
* 1999 ''Képek, Emlékek'' (Pictures, Memories) Binder Music Manufactory BMM 9904-26173630 Saját

Film scores
* 1975 ''A járvány''
* 1974 ''Holnap lesz fácán''
* 1972 ''Utazás Jakabbal''
* 1970 ''Mérsékelt égöv''
* 1970 ''Horizont''
* 1970 '' Szerelmesfilm''
* 1970 ''A gyilkos a házban van''
* 1967 ''A múmia közbeszól''
* 1966 '' Apa - egy hit naplója''
* 1965 ''Szentjános fejevétele''
* 1964 ''Karambol''
* 1963 ''Nappali sötétség''

Writing

* 1979 ''Jazz''
* 1982 ''Mi a Jazz?'' (What is Jazz?)
* 2004 ''Jazzvilág'' (World of Jazz) RÓZSAVÖLGYI ÉS TÁRSA publishers,

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Gonda, Janos
1932 births
2021 deaths
Hungarian jazz pianists
Franz Liszt Academy of Music alumni
Academic staff of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music
20th-century Hungarian pianists
20th-century Hungarian musicians
20th-century Hungarian male musicians
21st-century Hungarian pianists
21st-century Hungarian musicians
21st-century Hungarian male musicians
Hungarian male jazz musicians
Musicians from Budapest
Hungarian male composers
Hungarian jazz composers
Hungarian film score composers
Hungarian male film score composers