He received several prizes at Hungarian and international composer competitions, his compositions are frequently performed in Hungary and abroad. Beside the structural collectedness his music is very colourful, sometimes rich in enterprising sound effects and often uses grotesque poetic and melodic ideas.
Balázs Horváth regularly appears as conductor and performer of contemporary music. In 2009 he founded THReNSeMBle with six young musicians for performing contemporary music from Hungary and from abroad.

Biography in Headwords

1976 Born on 6 March in Budapest.

1999 Graduated at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, Budapest, his professors were Zoltán Jeney, Attila Bozay, and János Vajda. 
His Timesongs was selected and performed as a finalist at the 17th ALEA III International Composition Competition, Boston, USA.

2000-2002 Zoltán Kodály Scholarship

Since 2002 Professor at Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music.

2004 Premiere of Commentaries to Gabrieli comissioned and performed by Hungarian Radio Orchestra.

2004 and 2007 Benedek Istvánffy-prize for MAGNETS IV (round and round) and for Waiting for...

2005 Finishing his DLA in Composition at Ferenc Liszt Academy in Music.

2007 Poly won the 1st Prize at the 'In Memoriam György Ligeti' composition contest in Berlin.
Awarded the Ferenc Erkel-prize by the Hungarian state.

2009 Borrowed Ideas received 2nd prize at the orchestral category of the composers’ competition New Hungarian Music Forum .

2011 Faust and friends in the Magic Castle won the first prize at the 2nd New Hungarian Music Forum.

For more information go to balazshorvath.com and Budapest Music Center.

His works in our catalogue

Motorway-junction (1996) for saxophone quartet, 7'

Ten-da(e)nc(i)es (1997-98) for ensemble,17'

On the see-saw... (1996-98) for ensemble, 10'

Time-songs (1997) to poems by Domokos Szilágyi, for mezzo-soprano and ensemble, 16'

La Corsa Grande dei Clarinetti (1998-99) for clarinet solo and orchestra, 23'

Alterego (1999) for saxophone quartet, 11'

hhAb (2000) for big women's choir with echo-choir, 9'

Intermezzo (2000-2001) for string quartet, 7'

Quintet for three performers (2001) for clarinet/bass-clarinet, cello and piano, 24'

Symmetry-asymmetry (2002) 
for flute, viola and harp 17'

lines, words, letters (2002) to the poems by Lajos Parti Nagy for mezzo-soprano/alt voice, violin and bassoon, 12'

From 3 to 10 (2001-2002) for two pianos, 8'

and even the ice is cracking around you, too (2002-2003) for flute and piano, 8'

The three brothers (2005) for flute-trio 2’

...a very simple case... (2002-2003) for melodic instrument (originally flute) solo or with tape, 4'

Madrigal for 8 singers and tape (2003-2004) 3'

Commentaries to Gabrieli (2003/2005) for orchestra, 24'

MAGNETS I/b (Crux) (2000) for ensemble, 15'

MAGNETS II (rkonzert) (2000) for amplified viola, amplified double-bass and ensemble 17'

MAGNETS III (continued) (2001) for 11 string instruments, 18'

MAGNETS IVb (round and round) [Huddersfield version] (2003) for ensemble, 13'

MAGNETS IVa (round and round) [Original version] (2003) for ensemble, 13'

MAGNETS V (four) (2004) for ensemble, 10'

Again and again and... (2004) for brass quintet, 9'

Waiting for… (2005) for chamber ensemble, 11'

(Tec)tonic (2008-2010) for chamber orchestra, 15'

Grotesk Faust (2008-2011) for orchestra with DVD player and screen and loudspeakers, 12’