 (Pécs, 1956)
József Balogh is not only a clarinet and saxophone virtuoso, but also a successful composer and outstanding lecturer. He studied classical music, he first graduated at the conservatory in Pécs, then at the Ferenc Liszt Music Academy in 1979. He won several musical competitions at the beginning of his career (in Prague, Graz and Budapest).
He became the leading clarinetist first at the Hungarian State Opera, later at the Symphony Orchestra of the Hungarian Radio. In the meantime he taught at the Music Academy for five years. He is a founder of several Hungarian ensembles - Budapest Concert Blowers, Ozone Blowing Quintette, Ale Brider Band - and that of the international clarinet band called "Interclarinet", the members of which are the clarinetists of the Berlin and Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra and the Vienna Radio. Besides his talent and professional preparedness, also his extraordinary versatility is supported by the fact that he is at home in almost musical genres: apart from classical music he plays jazz, klezmer, folk music. He also plays the tarogato.
He has made prize-winning studio recordings, successful records (for Naxos and Hungaroton). In addition to his solo CD titled ';Contrasts'; he is making his most recent discs with the band Interclarinet. He regularly performs on concerts and festivals in Hungary and abroad (Clarinetfest, EuroCass Conference, Oklahoma Symphosium) as soloist and chamber musician. He was a guest professor at a number of American universities (University of Oklahoma, Idaho State University, University of North Texas). He conducts master courses and workshops in Hungary and abroad (USA, the Netherlands, Israel, England, Findland) alike. He is the director of the Javne Music School and the artistic manager of the Ráckeve Musical Castle.
He performed with the greatest clarinetists such as Eddie Daniels, Buddy DeFranco (Jazz), Larry Combs (Chicago Symphony Orchestra), Stanley Drucker (New York Philharmonic) at international festivals and courses.
He worked with several famous conductors at the Opera and Radio Orchestra (Gardelli, Simonov, György Lehel, Tamás Vásáry, András Ligeti), his partners were the Ferenc Liszt Chamber Orchestra, Veronika Kincses, Júlia Pászthy, Ingrid Kertesi, the Éder String-Quartette, Jenő Jandó, Dénes Várjon, Balázs Szokolay, László Baranyay, the Danubius Quartet, Mihály Tabányi, Sándor Dobsa, Rudolf Tomsits and many others. He is founding member of HSP.
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