Barnabás Kelemen

Hungarian violinist Barnabás Kelemen captivates the music world with ‘innate musicality’ and a technical execution that belongs ‘only to the greatest’ (The Guardian). With a repertoire that spans from classical to contemporary music, he has performed the Hungarian premieres of works by Ligeti, Schnittke and Gubaidulinav, as well as the world premiere of violin works by Kurtag.

Kelemen has collaborated with the Royal Liverpool, Helsinki, Munich, and Netherlands Radio Philharmonic Orchestras, and performed with such esteemed conductors as Maazel, Marriner, Janowski, Eötvös, and Fischer. He has performed in recitals in the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Wigmore Hall and Carnegie Hall among others.

Future highlights include début with the London Philharmonic under the baton of Jurowski, and a tour with the Budapest Festival Orchestra conducted by Fischer. He will also appear in recitals and chamber concerts throughout Europe.

Kelemen’s diverse discography has received critical acclaims, including a Diapason d’or with his recording of Brahms’s Sonatas for Violin and Piano. His recording of Liszt’s complete works for Violin and Piano was awarded the Grand Prix du Disque 2001 by the International Liszt Society. Among his recent recordings are a live DVD of the complete Mozart Violin Concerti and CDs of Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 1 and Solo Sonata.

Born in Budapest in 1978, Kelemen entered the Franz Liszt Music Academy at the age of 11 and took First Prize at the International Violin Competition Indianapolis in 2002. In recognition of his achievements, the Hungarian Government awarded him the Sándor Vegh Prize 2001, the Franz Liszt Prize 2003 and the Rózsavölgyi Prize 2003. Since 2005 he has been a professor at the Franz Liszt Music Academy Budapest.

He performs on a Guarneri del Gesú violin of 1742 (ex Dénes Kovács), generously on loan from the State of Hungary.