Description
József Sári (1935–) – Hungarian Composers 12 / Paperback
Author: Zoltán Farkas
Series: Hungarian Composers – No. 12
Publisher: Magus Kiadó (Magus Publishing)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 963827896X
ISBN-13: 9789638278968
Publication Year: 2001
Overview
Part of the respected Hungarian Composers series, this 32-page monograph by Zoltán Farkas introduces the life and work of József Sári (b. 1935), one of the most versatile Hungarian composers of the 20th and early 21st centuries.
Sári’s career reflects the journey of a musician who moved between nations and artistic traditions while maintaining a distinctly Hungarian creative voice. His music — marked by precision, structural clarity, and deep lyricism — bridges classical modernism and spiritual introspection.
Product Features
- Format: Paperback
- Pages: 32
- Language: English
- Publisher: Magus Kiadó
- Publication Year: 2001
- Series: Hungarian Composers – No. 12
- Genre: Biography / Contemporary Classical Music
- Country: Hungary
About the Composer
József Sári was born on June 23, 1935, in Lenti, Hungary. After graduating in 1953, he studied at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music from 1954 to 1962, under Endre Szervánszky (composition) and Zoltán Vásárhelyi (conducting).
Following his studies, Sári worked as a music teacher, piano accompanist, and chamber orchestra conductor, frequently participating in concerts and documentary projects. Between 1971 and 1984, he lived in Germany (FRG), working as a private teacher and freelance composer — performing his own works as pianist and conductor.
Returning to Hungary in 1984, he taught music theory at the Béla Bartók Secondary School for Music and later at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, where he served as Head of the Music Theory Department (1992–1997) and Chairman of the Doctoral Master Board (DLA, 1997–2001). From 1997, he also worked for ten years as the Contemporary Music Lector at the Hungarian Radio.
Career Highlights
- 2000: Premiere of his opera Sonnenfinsternis (Solar Eclipse) in Pforzheim, Germany.
- 2001: Guest professor at the Summer Academy of the University of Music in Vienna (Reichenau).
- 2004: Orchestral work Leoniden premiered by the Giessen Theatre Orchestra.
- 2005: Composed Kornsholm Concertino for the Kornsholm Music Festival, Denmark.
- 2008: Opera Der Hutmacher (The Hatter) premiered in Regensburg, Germany.
His 70th birthday in 2005 was celebrated with multiple concerts in Budapest and Kecskemét, marking his recognition as one of Hungary’s major living composers.
Awards and Recognition
- Internationaler Arbeitskreis für Musik Prize (Kassel, 1984)
- Bärenreiter Hausmusik Prize (Kassel, 1985)
- Erkel Prize (1991)
- Bartók–Pásztory Award (1995, 2005)
- Merited Artist of Hungary (1998)
- Artisjus Prize for Sonnenfinsternis – Four Orchestral Comments (2004) and Novellette No. 4/b (2015)
- Kossuth Prize (2009) – Hungary’s highest cultural honor
Artistic Style
Sári’s compositional voice is characterized by clarity of structure, refined tonal architecture, and a balance between intellect and emotion. His music often unfolds with meditative pacing and disciplined counterpoint, revealing an inner spiritual current.
Influenced by Szervánszky, Bartók, and the European avant-garde, Sári created a personal idiom that avoids both strict serialism and traditional tonality, instead seeking a uniquely human-centered modernism. His orchestral, chamber, and vocal works demonstrate both technical mastery and poetic depth.
Publisher Information
Publisher: Magus Kiadó (Magus Publishing) Series: Hungarian Composers – No. 12 Country of Origin: Hungary Year: 2001
Collect the Series! The Hungarian Composers collection by Magus Publishing preserves the creative heritage of Hungary’s most important 19th–21st-century composers in compact, informative volumes for musicians, historians, and music enthusiasts.
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