Déri György (Brisbane, Australia)

Griffith University, Queensland Conservatorium

 

I was born in 1965. My parents and all my close relatives are musicians. I started to study music at the age of five. My first instrument was the violin, but I switched to the cello after half a year.

My first teacher was Lajos Frank. A few months later I had my first public recital and very soon I won some regional cultural competitions.

I became preliminary student of the Bartók Béla Conservatory at the age of nine. From 1983 I entered the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. My professor was Ede Banda, member of the legendary Tátrai String Quartet. I had seven years of education there, with outstanding professors such as Melinda Kistétényi or György Konrád. While at the Academy I started parallel studies in composition at the Conservatory. My connection with contemporary music is unbroken ever since.

In 1985-86 I had a special scholarship in Vienna, where I studied chamber music with the members of the Vienna Schubert Trio (later Altenberg Trio). In the last two years of my studies I was demonstrator at the violoncello and chamber faculties of the Academy.

In 1987 I won the first prize of the David Popper Violoncello Competition. I graduated with distinction in 1989. Afterwards I played in several chamber music ensembles and orchestras, or as a soloist throughout Europe and beyond, but teaching became more and more important in my life since 1991, when I started teaching at the Academy.

In my career I got five Artisjus Prizes for performing and introducing contemporary Hungarian music and a special prize in 2012.

As a soloist and a chamber musician I played with outstanding partners, just to mention a few of them: Zoltán Kocsis, René Clemencic, Miklós Perényi, Péter Eötvös, Andras Keller etc. In Europe and Asia I had hundreds of concerts. I made about two dozen cd recordings from Bach till contemporary music.

I founded or participated several chamber music groups and orchestras such as Duo Ongarese, Hungarian Virtuosi, Liszt Ferenc Chamber Orchestra, Hungarian Cello Orchestra, Intermoduláció, UMZE, Flash Chamber Group, Keller String Quartet, Trio Pestalozzi, and Trio Art Nouveau.

In 2004 I got honored with the Liszt Ferenc Prize and became assistant professor beside Prof. Miklós Perényi – from 2010 I am senior lecturer at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music Budapest.

I make courses in Hungary, e.g. International Bartok Seminar, and in Spain. From 2008 I work at the Istvan Szechenyi University Győr as well.

Since 2010 I am the leader of the cello and double-bass faculty of the Liszt Academy. In 2011 I made my doctorate. I lead courses and masterclasses in Hungary, in Germany in Italy and in Spain.

Since 2011 I am the head of the cello and double-bass faculty at the Liszt Acadermy. Since 2020, he has been working as a senior lecturer at Griffith University, Queensland Conservatorium in Australia.