Artist database

5 February 1912, Diószeg [Sládkovičovo, Slovakia ] – 3 April 2007, Budapest

He studied composing at the Budapest Music Academy between 1930 and 1935 as pupil of Zoltán Kodály. In 1938-1939 his master was Rudolf Nilius at the conducting department of the Music Academy of Vienna. Later in 1940-41 he studied comparing music science at the Humboldt University in Berlin. He improved his conducting skills as pupil of Clemens Krauss at the Mozarteum in Salzburg (1941).

In 1940-41 he was répétiteur of the Opera House and between 1943 and 1945 the conductor and music director of the Hungarian Radio. From 1954 to 1964 he taught electronic music in the Zoltán Kodály Secondary School for Music in Debrecen, and between 1975 and 1995 at the Ferenc Liszt Music Academy. He was the first one who introduced electronic music as a teaching subject.

From the mid ‘60s on, the artistic interest of Zoltán Pongrácz turned to the electroacoustic music. He spent the school year of 1965/66 in Utrecht, where he was engaged in electronic music – his master was Gottfried Michael Koenig. He graduated in 1966 with his composition titled Chryptothesiphon (later retitled as Phonothése) and from that moment on he became the leading representative of electronic music, both as composer and as teacher. In the beginning he realized his works abroad and in his own home-studio, but from 1974 also in the Electronic Music Studio of the Hungarian Radio. In 1974 he won first prize with his Mariphonia at the international composing contest in Bourge (the proportions of the work were adjusted to the body of his wife, while its sound and rhythm was shaped to her voice by electronic manipulations).

He took part in the establishment of the International Confederation of Electroacoustic Music (centered in Bourges), and later he became vice president and member of the international board of the organization. Since 1992 – and from 1996 to 2000 even as vice president – he was member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts.

Throughout his long career he was honored with many awards. He received the Ferenc József Prize (1939), the “Magister” rank of the GMEB-UNESCO (1988), the title Merited Artist (1989), the Euphonies d’or Prize of France (1992), the Officer’s Cross of Merit of Order of the Hungarian Republic (1992), the Ferenc Erkel Prize (1996) and the Vox electronica Prize of the Hungarian Radio (2000). His compositions were not only presented in Europe, but in North- and South-America, and even in Japan.

Major works:
Operas: Odysseus and Nausikaa (1949-1950), The last station (1989)

Oratorios and cantatas: Legend of the carapace-cutter (1985), Ut omnes unum sint (1998), Missa solemnis (2001-2003), Kossuth-cantata (1992), Apollon Musagetes (1958)

Orchestral works: Symphony (1943), Three etudes for orchestra (1963)

Chamber works: Pastorale (1941), Gamelan music (1942), Three improvisations on percussions and piano (1971), Three bagatelles for percussions (1972), Hungarian antiquities (1986)

Electronic and electroacoustic works: Phonothése (1966), Mariphonia (1972), History of a C-sharp accord (1975), Barysphere (1975), Moving closer and further (1975), Twelve round ribbons (1977), 144 voices (1977), Madrigal (1980), Praise of folly (1980), Concertino for saxophone and electronics (1982), Polar and successive contrasts (1986), Cimbalom concerto accompanied by electronic music (1988).

Books: Book of folk musicians (1965), Present music, present note writing (1971), The electronic music (1980)