Máté Balogh was born in 1990, in Győr, Hungary. Graduated of the Conservatory of Pécs, where he specialized in the theory of music and composition with István Győrffy, he finished his studies in composition at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest under Zoltán Jeney. In 2013, he spent a semester in Trieste, Italy, studied composition with Fabio Nieder. Then for one year he had been working under the mentorship of Péter Eötvös.
He received his doctoral DLA degree at the Liszt Academy and is currently an associate professor in the Music Theory Department and in the International Kodály Institute. Till September 2018 he had been the Editor-in-Chef of the Universal Music Publishing Editio Musica Budapest, mainly working with György Kurtág’s works.
His pieces have been performed all over Europe and in Turkey, China, Taiwan, Japan and the United State. He is the composer of Zsófia Szilágyi’s film entitled One Day, which was awarded the FIPRESCI-Prize in Cannes, 2019.
His music has been presented in many international festivals, such as: Manifeste Festival (IRCAM-Paris), ECCO Concert Series (Bruxelles), Milano Musica, Opus Amadeus (Istanbul), Kurtág&Ungarn (Bern), Listening to China (Shanghai), Ostrava Days, Axes Kraków, Café Budapest, St. Gellert Festival, Bartók Szeminárium, Korunk Zenéje, Budapesti Tavaszi Fesztivál, Minifesztivál, Átlátszó Hang Fesztivál, Artrium Festival.
Among others, he worked together with Ensemble Mozaik (GER), Alter Ego Ensemble (ITA), Sturm und Klang Ensemble (BE), Ensemble Hartmann21 (GER), Max Brand Ensemble (AUS), Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra (PRC), Huntsville Symphony Orchestra (USA), Janacek Philharmonic Orchestra (CZ), The Forbidden City Chamber Orchestra (PRC), JACK Quartet (USA), Asasello Quartet (GER), Stadler Quartet (AUS), Slovenian National Choir (SLO), Ostravská Banda (CZ), Hungarian Radio Orchestra, Danubia Orchestra, Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, UMZE Chamber Orchestra, Anima Musicae Chamber Orchestra, Budapest Strings, Hungarian National Choir, Concerto Budapest, Classicus Quartet (HUN).
Awards, prizes, important premieres:
2010: 1st Prize of the Composition Contest of the University of Theatre and Film, Budapest
2011: 1st Prize of the Composer Competition of the Hungarian National Choir
2013, July: Won the possibility to be part as composer of the ’Out at S.E.A.’ chamber-opera project managed by the Péter Eötvös Foundation.
2013, September: 3rd Prize of the UMZF Composer Competition with his ensemble-piece Notturni a L.
2015, February: He was one of the four chosen young European composers whose pieces were performed in Bruxelles, BOZAR, by the Sturm und Klang Ensemble within the framework of the Conference of the European Composer’s and Songwriter’s Alliance.
2015, April: Hononary (special) award of the so-called GENERACE composer competition, with his piece The Labyrinth of the World and the Paradise of the Heart.
2015, May: He was one of the two composers who where selected to work with Fabio Nieder and the Ensemble Mosaik within the framework of a workshop organized by the Fondazione Spinola Banna. His piece BABE(urope)L was performed there, broadcasted by the RAI.
2015, October: Absolute 1st prize of the UMZF Competition with his ensemble-piece Melodiemusik, and also 2nd prize for his orchestral piece called Quintet.
2016: Artisjus Prize (Junior-Composer of the Year, Hungary)
2017, June: World premiere of his Jam Quartet in Zürich, Tonhalle, by Thrensemble. The concert program was built up by contemporary Hungarian composers, such as, Kurtág, Eötvös, Bella, Horváth, Tornyai and Balogh.
2017, September: Absolute 1st Prize of the UMZF Competition with his piece called Pseudomarsch.
2017, December: His piece for Chinese national orchestra, called Odes (诗经) were first performed in Shanghai, commissioned by the Cultural Ministry of People’s Republic of China.
2018, January: World premiere of his piece Hemingway’s Speech, at Central European University, by Rupert Bergmann and the Max Brand Ensemble.
2018, May: 2nd Prize at the 1st Beethoven Composer Competition
2018, June: World premiere of his piece Kipling’s Speech at Karl-Amadeus-Hartmann-Gesellschaft, Münich.
2018, November: Junior Prima Prize
2019, March: World Premiere of his piece One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, in Tokyo, Japan.
2019, September: World Premiere of his piece Alabama March on the bicentennial of State Alabama, Huntsville, USA.
2019, December: World Premiere of his piece Dadamusik in Neuss, Germany, by Asasello Quartet.
2019: Fidelio 50 Prize
2020: GENERACE Composer Competition, Ostrava – 3rd Prize with his piece Bahnmusik
2020: World Premiere of his piece Song For The Persecuted
2020: ‘Support Exellence Award’ by the Central European String Quartet
2020: I. Salvatore Quasimodo Songwriter Contest – 1st Prize
2021: II. Impronta Composer Competition – 3rd Prize with his piece Der Rhein am Tomasee