Educators 2023:

  • Márkus Tibor: artistic director of the camp, piano, ear training, jazz history
  • Szabó Dániel: piano, jazz theory
  • Friedrich Károly: trombone, trumpet, band practice, Big Band
  • Elek István: saxophone, band practice
  • Tóth Viktor: saxophone, clarinet, flute, “What is behind scales, rhythms and harmonies”
  • Lakatos Ágnes: singing, vocal
  • Hajdu Klára: singing, band practice
  • Gyárfás István: guitar, band practice
  • Juhász Gábor: guitar, band practice
  • Csuhaj-Barna Tibor: standing bass, bass guitar, band practice
  • Nesztor Iván: drums, band practice
  • Jeszenszky György: drums, percussion, band practice

Assisting: students of the Jazz Faculty at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music

Csuhaj-Barna Tibor is an associate professor at Franz Liszt Academy of Music teaching jazz standing bass and methodology, as well as an educator at Béla Bartók Conservatory teaching jazz standing bass and bass guitar. For just over 30 years he has been a member of first-rate ensembles (Brass Age, Binder Károly Trio, Regős Quartet). He is currently the bassist and/or composer of Varga Gábor Trio, Equinox, Voice and Bass, Vörös Niki Quintet and Lakatos Ágnes Special Zone.

Elek István has two degrees from the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. He first graduated in classical clarinet, then moved on to jazz saxophone. He was awarded the Emerton Prize as a member of the formations Fusio Group, Besenyő Brass Band and Tea. He is currently teaching saxophone at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. He has also played in Coolative, Charlie Jazz Band and East Side Jazz Company.

Friedrich Károly is a former associate professor of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, where he taught jazz trombone, jazz history and instrumentation. He is currently retired but still active as a tutor. In 2006 he was awarded the Szabó Gábor Prize for Lifetime Achievement, the only professional award in the field of jazz in Hungary. Apart from his own formations, he was a member of the legendary Syrius, and was co-founder and co-director of Budapest Big Band. He has written several textbooks on jazz history and instrumentation.

Gyárfás István is a jazz guitarist, educator, and composer. Outside his own trio he often plays for Gyárfás-Premecz Organ Trio, Gyafi and Friends, and Szalóky Classic Jazz Sundays, as well as with high-profile members of the Hungarian jazz community. In the past years he has played alongside American stars such as George Duke, Peter Erskine, Benny Green, Scott Hamilton, Gregory Hutchinson, Reggie Johnson, Herbie Mann, Joe Murányi, Ken Peplowsky, Chris Potter, Ed Thigpen, Alvin Queen, Warren Vaché and Jimmy Woode. Gyafi was voted one of the most popular jazz guitarists by readers, critics, musicians, and organisers according in surveys of the two most significant Hungarian jazz publications, jazzma.hu and magyarjazz.hu. For his work he was awarded the most prestigious professional prize for lifetime achievement, the Szabó Péter Prize in 2016. He also received the For Budapest Award in 2021 for his outstanding activity as a performer and musical educator.

Hajdu Klára is a pre-eminent singer, composer, and educator of the Hungarian jazz scene. In the past 17 years she has taught in the Tóth Aladár School of Music, Vienna Konservatorium, Rajkó Talentum, in several talent programs produced by TV2, and in Premier Art Gymnasium. She has performed in numerous clubs and at numerous festivals across the major cities of Europe and the USA. For almost a decade she was the singer of Balázs Elemér Group. Her own quartet celebrated its 15th anniversary on the stage of MÜPA this year on the International Day of Jazz. So far, they have released four albums, two of which have been nominated for the Fonogram Hungarian Musical Award.

Jeszenszky György started drumming without any training at the age of 12. He graduated from Béla Bartők Conservatory in 1987 where he studied jazz. Throughout the ‘90s he played in formations headed by Baló István, Gadó Gábor, Regős István, Binder Károly, and Gyárfás István. Today he is a member of Juhász Gábor Trio, Premecz-Gyárfás Organ Trio, Vörös Niki Quartet, Equinox, Kelemen Angelika Quartet, Varga Gábor Trio, and Jazz Consort. He teaches at Franz Liszt Academy of Music and Teleki-Wattay School of Arts.

Juhász Gábor is a jazz guitarist and composer. He has been awarded Gramofon and Artisjus and shares the Aegon Award with Jónás Tamás. Having been an educator since 1990, he currently teaches jazz guitar at Béla Bartók Conservatory. He has played with internationally renowned musicians such as Archie Shepp, Palle Mikkelborg, Erik Truffaz, Randy Brecker, Charlie Mariano, Ian Ballamy, Lars Danielsson, Stephen James, Bebo Baldan, Federico Sanesi, Theo Jörgensman, to mention a few. He is part of numerous formations beyond his own Juhász Gábor Trio. Their latest release, Planets (2023) features Karosi Júlia and Tony Lakatos.

Lakatos Ágnes is an Artisjus award winning artist, associate professor at Franz Liszt Academy of Music and head of the jazz faculty at Béla Bartók Conservatory, where she also teaches singing. She is a member of East Side Jazz Company, Voice and Bass, Lakatos Ágnes Standard Zone, Lakatos Ágnes Special Zone and Lakatos Ágnes-Oláh Kálmán Concept. She has released albums with Corridor Fagott Quartet and the Jazz Voices Choir, the latter of which she headed for over a decade.

Márkus Tibor is a retired senior lecturer of the jazz faculty at Franz Liszt Academy of Music and a teacher at Béla Bartók Conservatory. He was president of the Hungarian Jazz Federation for 8 years. He became art director of Lamantin in 2003, and art director of the Improvisational Camp in 2007. He has released six albums with his band Equinox, as well as four records of his compositions and a DVD. He is the author of all three-volumes of “The Theory of Jazz”, a well-regarded textbook. In 2010 he was awarded the Golden Cross of Merit of the Republic of Hungary for his achievements in the arts, public life, and education. He also received the Artisjus award in 2011, the Erkel Ferenc award in 2015, and the Gonda János award in 2017. In 2021 a steel star with his name was placed among the most notable people hailing from Szombathely (among such names as Törőcsik Mari, Jordán Tamás, Benkő László and Charlie) on the sidewalk outside Broadway Café.

Nesztor Iván is a retired teacher of Franz Liszt Academy of music and founding member of Erkel Ferenc Elementary Jazz Music Conservatory, known colloquially as “Postás”. He plays with several notable formations and is a collector of folk music. He has published several of his collections, as well as a four-volume educational series titled “Ritmusjáték és jazzdobolás” (roughly: Rhythm and Jazz Drumming – the translator). He has led a camp focused on improvisative pedagogy, jazz and free music that took place in Szombathely named Open Workshop for four years. His two-volume study co-written with Lehőcz Alexandra titled “Czopán György Népzenei Világa” (roughly: Czopán György’s World of Folk Music – the translator) was published in 2023.

The pianist-composer Szabó Dániel is active across both Europe and the USA. He regularly cooperates with artists such as Peter Erskine, Chris Potter, or Joe LaBarbera. His latest album, Visionary was featured prominently by the American magazine JAZZIZ in their Critics Picks Playlist alongside Brad Mehldau and Esperanza Spalding. The management of Chick Corea asked him to perform the closing section of “Jazz Piano Concerto”, a Bartók-inspired piece dedicated to MÜPA by Corea together with John Patitucci and Dave Weckl. He has cooperated on albums with Peter Erskine, Chris Potter, and Kurt Rosenwinkel. His piece written for string orchestra debuted to great success in the Musikverein in Vienna, performed by Tonkünstler Orchester and Peter Erskine. Szabó regularly works with outstanding Hungarian artists such as Borbély Mihály, Szandai Mátyás, Bacsó Kristóf, Avéd János and Modern Art Orchestra as well. He has been awarded the ASCAP award for composers, the 2006 Grand Prize of the City of Paris after participating in the Martial Solal International Jazz Piano Competition, as well as the first prize of the Jas Henessy Solo Piano Competition at Montreux in 2000. He also shared first place at the Füsthi Balogh Gábor Talent Jazz Piano Competition in 1998, organised by the Hungarian Radio. His new quintet album titled “Intersections recorded in Los Angeles with his formation there will be released in autumn of 2023. He is currently a teacher at the Institute of Music of the University of peach, where he has developed a new jazz education program.

Tóth Viktor is a serial Jazz Musician of the Year award-winner saxophone player and composer. “Tóth Viktor is one of the most versatile figures of the Hungarian jazz scene. His musical personality is just as effective as a virtuoso postbop-daredevil (in Tóth Viktor Tercett) as his soul-touching, spiritual translations of spiritual music (in Aurora Trio)”- writes the press. His eighth album titled “Have no fear” released this year. Several of his records were awarded Jazz Album of the Year. He tours the world performing concerts, presentations, and workshops from India to the United States. He considers himself a person who has his path but is still searching for one, his musical efforts expressing a desire for a unity with universal harmony. He has played with artists such as Hamid Drake (drums), Henry Franklin (bass), William Parker (bass), Leena Conquest (vocals), John Betsch (drums), Piotr Wojtasik (trumpet), James Carter (sax). He sees their concerts as wonderful occasions of learning and self-improvement.

Master’s Courses

Lukács Miklós – cymbalom (the master’s course is intended for all singers and players)

Lukács Miklós is one of the most sought-after and versatile cymbalom players on the planet. Contemporary, jazz and various folk styles exist in perfect symbiosis in his art. Several pieces have been composed with his specific skillset in mind, such as “Márta Liturgiája” by Kurtág György, “Da Capo” and “Cziffra” Psodia by Eötvös Péter, or “Sounds of Generations Y – Part II” by Bella Máté. Throughout his career, he has been a soloist of BBC Symphony Orchestra, Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, RAI National Symphony Orchestra, Philharmonisches Staatsorchester Hamburg, ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Remix Ensemble, Israel Contemporary Players, Ensemble Musikfabrik, Tallinn Chamber Orchestra, Ligeti ensemble, UMZE Kamaraegyüttes – he is a returning artist to the most important concert halls in the world. He also plays an active role in the global jazz scene. A member of Charles Lloyd’s Wild Man Dance, he also heads his own trio here in Hungary named Cimbiózis. Moreover, in 2016 he created his American trio, Cimbalom Unlimited together with Larry Grenadier on standing bass and Eric Harland on Drums. He has played and still plays with such first-rate musicians as Chris Potter, Harish Raghavan, Gerald Cleaver, archie Shepp, Gerald Clayton, Omar Sosa, Frank London, and Steve Coleman. He is featured on over fifty albums, a third of which he has produced himself. His concerts and albums are constantly featured not only in international jazz publications, but also in The New York Times, Chicago Tribune, and The Guardian. For his work he has so far been awarded the Hungarian Heritage, For Hungarian Arts, Príma, Gramofon and Erkel Ferenc awards. He is a member of Széchenyi Academi of Literature and Art.

Tony Lakatos – saxophone

Tony Lakatos comes from Hungary but lives in Germany. He is without a doubt one of the most outstanding artists in Europe. Since graduating from Béla Bartók Conservatory he has had an illustrious career, having cooperated on over 400 albums, and playing with such legends as Al Foster, Joanne Brackeen, Jasper van’t Hof, terri Lynne Carrington, Anthony Jackson, or Kirk Lightsey. His own albums have received some of the most prestigious awards. He has been all over Europe and performs around the world. He also teaches master’s courses at the most prominent universities.

Válik László – studio technology, stage audio technology

Valik László has been the sound technician of the Lamantin Jazz Festival since the beginning. He is not only blessed with a keen ear, but is also an outstanding audio engineer, who has worked with the greatest names in music to great success. He has a wealth of knowledge and experience not only in the field of stage audio technology but studio technology as well.