Artist database

Máté Hollós was born in Budapest, in 1954. He graduated at the composition faculty of the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in 1980. First he worked for the agency of Artisjus (the Hungarian Bureau for the Protection of Authors' Rights) promoting Hungarian music abroad and taught foreign students at the Academy. Then he established Akkord Music Publishers, the first private company of this kind after the 40 year monopolic position of the state-owned Editio Musica Budapest. In 1990 he was commissioned to be the director of the record company, Hungaroton. In 1993 they founded Hungaroton Classic Ltd., which, including the pop department of the company) is now called: Hungaroton Records Ltd. Hollós is the Managing Director of the company. After functioning as the Vice President of the Hungarian Composers' Union, he was named President of the organization in 1996, and re-elected in 1999. He is also member of the board of the the Leadership of Artisjus, the presidential committee of the Association of Hungarian Music Publishers, and other organisations. He is a regular contributor of the press and the Hungarian Radio.

Hollós' compositions have been performed in most European countries as well as in the USA and Canada. He received major commissions from the USA, Canada, France and England, including a piano concerto for the 50th Anniversary of the United Nations Organisation, premiered by the European Council. A portrait film was made about him by the ISCM (International Society for Contemporary Music) 1986.

Máté Hollós has received several prizes, among them the Prize of the Audience at the rostrum of the Hungarian Radio (1992), the Erkel Prize (1997), and the Bartók-Pásztory Award (1998).