Balázs Kecskés D. (b. 1993) belongs to the youngest generation of Hungarian composers. Presently, he is a doctoral student in composition at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music and teaches at the Bartók Béla Conservatory of Music in Budapest. From 2007 to 2011, he studied piano and composition with István Fekete Győr and Balázs Kecskés at the Bartók Béla Conservatory of Music. He continued his composition studies as a student of János Vajda at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music from where he graduated with high honours in 2016. Balázs Kecskés D. has successfully participated in several competitions. In 2018, he received the American Garth Newel Award for his Piano Quartet “Accusativus”, selected from 90 entries from all over the world. In the same year, he won the third prize at the Arany János Composer Competition for his song cycle “Enyhülés” (“Relief”). In 2016, he received the Aurora Musis Amica Award for the most outstanding diploma composition of the year. In 2015, he received the Scholarship of the Hungarian Republic. In 2013, he won the second prize at a composers’ competition in remembrance of the renowned Hungarian writer Géza Gárdonyi. In 2012, he won the first prize at the composers’ competition of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music and received the third prize at the GENERACE competition in Ostrava. His compositions have been performed by leading ensembles such as the Hungarian Radio Orchestra and Choir, the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, the Danubia Orchestra, the New Liszt Ferenc Chamber Choir, the Kodály Choir and the Budapest Concerto Symphony Orchestra.
Balázs Kecskés D. has attended several masterclasses and festivals working with leading musicians of the world, such as Heinz Holliger, Louis Andriessen, Fabio Nieder, David Lang, Christopher Austin, Paolo Furlani and Hugi Gundundsson. In 2017, he participated in the Dark Music Days Festival in Reykjavík. In 2016, he received the special scholarship for composers of the Livorno Music Festival. Besides being a composer and music teacher, Balázs Kecskés D. is a dedicated music scholar. His main research areas are the music of Thomas Adès and the main trends in the contemporary music of the US. Competition Results, Awards: 2018 Garth Newel Award Arany János Composer Competition – 3rd prize 2016 Livorno Music Festival – special scholarship for composers Aurora Musis Amica Award Young Talents of the Nation Scholarship 2015 Scholarship of the Hungarian Republic Young Talents of the Nation Scholarship 2013 Composer Competition in memory of Géza Gárdonyi – 2nd prize, Budapest 2012 „GENERACE” Composer Competition – 3rd prize, Ostrava Composer Competition of the Liszt Academy – 1st prize, Budapest.