Students of the Liszt Academy win Junior Prima Awards this year

The Junior Prima Prize in the Hungarian music category was awarded to outstanding young musicians for the fourteenth time this year. The 2 million-forint award, supported by MVM Zrt., was presented on November 23.

This year’s honourees include former and current students of the Liszt Academy: harpsichordist Róza Bene; double bassist Benedek Devich; composer Dániel Dobos; jazz pianist and jazz singer János Egri Jr.; violinist Eszter Kökény; pianist Valentin Magyar; jazz saxophonist Kálmán Oláh Jr.; trumpet player Dénes Seidl as well as opera singer Artúr Norbert Szeleczki. Pianist Soma Balázs-Piri was also awarded the prestigious prize.

The award winners (photo: Hungarian Telegraphic Office / Noémi Bruzák)

At the awards ceremony, Dr. Andrea Vigh, President of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music and chairperson of the jury, noted that the pool of young talent seems inexhaustible, so the panel had a hard time choosing the ten award-winning young artists this year. She highlighted that nurturing talent is a mission that the Liszt Academy has supported since the day it was founded. The fact that these young artists have received one of the most prestigious awards, allows them to spread the message as ambassadors of the country that Hungary is a great power in music, she stressed, adding that many of the former winners are now recognized members of international music life.

Dr. Andrea Vigh President (photo: Hungarian Telegraphic Office / Noémi Bruzák)

“We are very pleased and proud that MVM Zrt. has had the opportunity to recognize the work of 140 outstanding young musical talents in the last decade and a half,” said Eszter Jákó, corporate communications director at MVM. “The special significance of the award is illustrated by the fact that the award-winning young artists have achieved outstanding success not only at home but also on the international music circuit. This coincides with MVM's long-term objectives of supporting future generations as well as culture in general.”

The jury of the Junior Prima Award consists of celebrated artists of the Hungarian music scene every year. The members of the panel this year included: Éva Marton, Prima Primissima-, Kossuth- and the Order of St. Stephen-winning opera singer, National Artist of Hungary, professor emerita at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music; János Balázs, Kossuth Prize-winning pianist, Junior Prima Prize winner, Meritorious Artist, university lecturer; Károly Binder, Erkel Prize-winning pianist, composer, professor of jazz piano and jazz composition at the university; Gábor Boldoczki, Liszt, Bartók–Pásztory and Junior Prima Prize winner trumpet player, professor at the university; Kálmán Dráfi, Liszt Prize-winning pianist, professor at the Keyboard and Harp Department at the university; Gyula Fekete, Erkel and Bartók–Pásztory Prize-winning composer, deputy Vice-President of the university and head of the Composition Department; Balázs Fülei, Liszt, Junior Prima and Artisjus Prize-winning pianist, head of the university’s Chamber Music Department; Roland Szentpáli, winner of multiple international competitions, Artisjus Prize-winning tuba player, composer, lecturer at the university; Gergely Fazekas, musicologist and professor at the university; cellist László Jakobi, concert organizer and recipient of the Cziffra Lifetime Achievement Award; as well as Béla Szakcsi Lakatos, Kossuth Prize-winning pianist and composer, National Artist of Hungary.