Sándor Balassa

Sándor Balassa was a celebrated Hungarian composer and music educator, born in Budapest on January 20, 1935. He spent much of his childhood in the Hungarian countryside, where he developed a deep interest in the arts—not just music, but poetry as well. Balassa’s formal musical journey began in Budapest, where he attended music school and studied composition with Endre Szervánszky, later graduating from the Franz Liszt Academy of Music.

Balassa’s career was wide-ranging and influential: he worked as a music producer for Hungarian Radio starting in 1964, and in 1981 became a professor at the Academy of Music, where he taught until his retirement in 1996. His compositions are acclaimed for their expressive qualities and span orchestral, chamber, and vocal works, including notable pieces like “Dimenziók (Dimensions; Dimensioni)” for flute and viola, “Hárfástrio (Harp Trio),” and the orchestral suite “Iris.” Over his career, he earned numerous honors, including the Kossuth Prize, Hungary’s most prestigious artistic award. Balassa passed away on May 14, 2021, leaving behind a rich legacy in Hungarian music.

Genres

Experimental

Folk

Avant-garde

Classical

World

Contemporary Classical

Chamber Music

Orchestral Music

Latest Release

Balassa: Complete Piano Music, Vol. 3

Sándor Balassa

Album - 26 Tracks - Released February 14, 2020