Berkes Kálmán
Biography
Early years
Kálmán Berkes was born in 1952 in Budapest, Hungary. He was born into a musical family, his father, Kálmán Berkes senior, being a clarinet teacher. Four of his siblings also became musicians (jazz double bass player Balázs Berkes, violin teacher Anikó Berkes, music director Katalin Berkes, and violist Mária Berkes). Mr. Kálmán Berkes junior started his musical studies on piano first, then he switched to the violin until he was 12 years old. That is when he became inseparable from his main instrument, the clarinet. On secondary level he finished his studies at the Béla Bartók Conservatory of Music in 1970 in the class of Ferenc Vécsei. He graduated from the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest in 1978, having been taught clarinet by Béla Kovács. His other teachers at the Academy included the most famous Hungarian contemporary composer György Kurtág, also András Mihály, Albert Simon, and Frigyes Sándor. His conducting teachers were maestro János Ferencsik, and Italian opera conductor Giuseppe Patané.
His career
Mr. Berkes started his active professional career at the early age of 16, when in 1968 he performed publically one of the most difficult pieces of the clarinet repertoire, the "Contrasts" by Béla Bartók. His partners in that work were then violinist Miklós Szenthelyi, and pianist Dezső Ránki. Later the piano part of that piece was taken over by his long time partner in music, and friend, the late Zoltán Kocsis with whom he had begun to play as a child since 1964. The Contrasts was first recorded by Hungarian record company Hungaroton as part of a total expenditure of Bartók's compositions. Its second release by Naxos in 1994 featured as his partners violinist György Pauk, and pianist Jenő Jandó. This recording has earned the trio a gold medal at the classical music Grammys in 1995.
In 1972 he won silver medal at the International Chamber Music Competition in Genf, Switzerland, and also awarded at similar competitions in 1974 in Belgrade, then in 1975 in Munich.
He is an avid participant in Hungary's music life, having played clarinet in all of the country's premier orchestras. In 1972 Mr. Berkes received scholarship while still studying to play in the Hungarian Opera Orchestra and a year after became a member thereof. Also, in 1973 he was appointed first clarinetist of the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra. Between 1973 and 1983 he was a member of the Budapest Chamber Ensemble having participated in premiering many contemporary pieces written by Hungarian composers. He toured Europe (Salzburg, Luzerne, Brussels) excessively with that group as well. In 1982 he was a founding member and artistic director of the Budapest Wind Ensemble until 2002. In 1983 he was there at the birth, and was first clarinetist of the Budapest Festival Orchestra.
Conducting career
Kálmán Berkes made his debut performance as a conductor in 1987 in Caracas, Venezuela, then from 1988 until 1991 he was conductor of the Hungarian Virtuoso Chamber Orchestra. Between 2004 and 2006 he was regular guest conductor of the National Philharmonic Orchestra.
It is characteristic of his career to have performed as a soloist, chamber musician, and conductor in Europe, North and South America, Asia, in approximately 80 countries. As a soloist he walked onstage in some of Europe's most prestigious concert halls, ie. Musikverein, Wigmore Hall, Mozarteum, Hercules Hall, and the Queen Elizabeth Hall. His collaborations with orchestras included the English Chamber Orchestra, Sinfonia Varsovia, Simon Bolivar Orchestra, Tampere Symphony Orchestra, Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, and the Budapest Festival Orchestra.
Mr. Berkes gave a series of masterclasses all over the world, ie. in the United States, Canada, England, the Netherlands, Finland, and was invited guest artist at well-known international festivals (Bath, London, Menton, Tokyo, Quebec).
In 1992 he was invited to Japan to work as a clarinet teacher at the Musashino Music Academy in Tokyo. At the same time he was the conductor of the institute's symphony orchestra as well. Besides the professional work he also contributed a great deal to the further development of the Japanese/Hungarian cultural connections. Some of his efforts in that regard resulted in guest appearances of ie. the Franz Liszt Academy Orchestra, and the Budapest Wind Ensemble at the Musashino, as well as of soloists such as Zoltan Kocsis, Jenő Jandó, Dezső Ránki, and Sass Sylvia.
In 2001, on the comission of the Budapest Spring Festival, he founded the Tokyo-Budapest Ensemble. The group is a regular performer both in Hungary and Japan since 2002, and featured in a number of radio/television programs as well.
Mr. Berkes, as a reward for his professional achievements, received one Hungary's highest awards for classical musicians, the Liszt Prize. Many of Hungary's best composers (Zsolt Durkó, Ferenc Farkas, Frigyes Hidas, György Vukán) wrote music either for him as a clarinetist, or for his wind ensemble. Some of these world premieres were broadcast by BBC.
From 2009 maestro Berkes has been conductor/artistic director of the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra. As a result of his work GYPO became one of Hungary's finest orchestras and in 2013 it was recognized by the award of the Bartók-Pásztory Prize.
During his long career Mr. Berkes has worked together with some of the very finest Hungarian and international artists. Among others he played with Zoltán Kocsis, Jenő Jandó, Miklós Perényi, András Schiff, Gábor Takács-Nagy, James Galway, Maurice André, José Cura...
His home country recognized his work by giving him the Meritorious Artist Award in 2016.
In 2017 he permanently moved back from Japan, presently works and lives in Győr, Hungary.
Private life
His children are Gábor Berkes, Laura Berkes, and Anna Berkes.
Awards
1986 - Liszt Award on occasion of the Liszt Centennial
1995 - GRAMMY - gold medal for his recording of "Contrasts" by Béla Bartók. His co-winners were violinist György Pauk, and pianist Jenő Jandó
2013 - Pro Urbe Award given by the city of Győr
2013 - Knight of Cross from the Order of Merit of the Hungarian Republic
2013 - as a recognition of his work with the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra, the company received the Bartók- Pásztory Award
2016 - Meritorious Award of Hungary
2017 - Honorary UniversityTeacher - Istvan Széchenyi University, Győr
2017 - Musashino Academy Musicae - Professor Emeritus
2017 - County Prime Award - Győr-Sopron county, Hungary