Ferenc BERNÁTH - classical guitarist, professor, composer, Doctor of Philosophy - on specialty Musical Art, Study of Art
Regularly gives solo and duo performances accompanied with some other instruments such as guitar, flute, violin, piano and voice, as well as playing as the soloist in symphonic orchestras. His range of classical musical repertoire is widened by the styles of jazz, latin, flamenco and folk music. He has been regularly an invited artist at various international festivals and has obtained prizes throughout his career. He has been involved in several CD and DVD recordings, Hungarian and foreign countries’ Radio and TV broadcasts.
He has been offered several times to work on international classical, jazz and world music projects due to his unique virtuose technique and natural feel of playing in different musical styles.
He often introduces the newly written contemporary pieces to the public. The Hungarian premiere at Danube Palace of Leo Brouwer Concerto No.3 „Elegiaco” for guitar and orchestra is credited to his name along with the premiere of D.Malyj guitar concerto with the Harkov Symphonic Orchestra and many other solo and chamber music pieces.
He continues the practice of composing music inspired by folk songs, paraphrases on classical guitar.
These and other original works and classical musical transcriptions are popular with other classical guitarists throughout the world. In addition to this, he has composed music for both guitar and symphonic orchestra Concerto No.1 „Hungarian” for guitar and orchestra.
In 2007, he acquired a guitar artist and teacher’s degree with distinction at Kharkov State University of Arts (Academy of Music). In the same University he defended his dissertation on specialty Musical Art and received the degree of PhD.
Throughout his studies, he participated several masterclasses held by famous artists: Jozsef Eötvös, Ede Roth (Hungary), Leo Brouwer (Cuba), Aniello Desiderio (Italy), Vladimir Dotsenko (Ukraine), Sergey Kodrenko (Russia), Ichiro Suzuki (Japan), Piotr Zaleski (Poland).
He started teaching at Budapest Egressy Béni School of Music in 2007 and is the Head of Department since 2012. He is the guitar teacher of „Vienna Konservatorium Budapest” since 2012.
He concentrates at caring after the young talents and charity activities. Between 2008 and 2017 his students took one of the first 3 places 55 times at both international and hungarian guitar compeitions and music festivals. He started a series of concerts under the name „Gitárestek a Rátkaiban” which allows several young guitarist to introduce themselves at Rátkai Márton Art Club in Budapest. He is the founder and artistic director of „Velencei gitáros napok”(Guitar Days of Velence) International Guitar Festival where he gives master classes, concerts and opportunity for the young guitarists to take part in their own concert.
The attends beneficial and charitable events. Among many, he played for the benefit of „National Organisation of Big Families”, Bajcsy-Zsilinszky Hospital in Budapest, Radio Mária, the Institution of Sight Impaired of Ungvár, etc. In 2015, he introduced a series of concert with his artist friends to help the people of Subcarpathia with a great success.
He is the founder and orchestra leader of PALLADIO ORCHESTRA since 2015, the biggest guitar orchestra in the world.
AWARDS
- „Guinness Record” (International Guitar Festival Balatonfüred 2007, 2008)
- „Artisjus” Music Fundation Award (Budaest, Hungary 2012)
- "PRO CULTURA MINORITATUM HUNGARIAE" award (Budapest, Hungary 2012)
- „Taras Shevchenko” Medallion Award by the Ukranian World Congress for his cultural works on the connection between Hungary and Ukraine 2014
- „David Arts” Creative Niveau-prize (Budapest, Hungary 2016)
- Became a respected member of the „Ukranian National Music Association of Guitarists” 2017
- "CompoGuitar" International Composers Competition I. PRIZE (Kiev, Ukraine 2018)
- "Transcarpathian Edelweiss" International Composers Competition GRAND PRIZE (Uzhgorod, Ukraine 2018)
- "CaspiArt" International Music Competition I. PRIZE (Turkey 2019)
RELEASES
- "Feelings and moods" (Solo CD 2005)
- "Lyrical melodies" (Flute and Guitar CD 2009)
- "Magic of the Guitar" (Live Concert DVD 2011)
- "Double Paraphrase" (guitar duo CD 2012)
- "Children play" Characterpieces for classical guitar (Score+CD 2012)
- "The Magic Carpathians" (guitar duo CD 2017)
- "Landscape Preludes" (SCORE for guitar solo 2019)
- "Light pieces for piano solo and four hands" (SCORE 2019)
- "The Girl with Blue Roses" (SCORE for flute & guitar 2019)