Bio

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Petra Berényi was born in 1978 in Budapest, Hungary. Since the age of seven, she has played the Hungarian cimbalom (dulcimer) and has been also studying the violin since age 10.

Petra received her Bachelor of Music Degree from the Liszt Ferenc College of Music, Budapest in 2000 as a cimbalom player. She studied with cimbalom masters Ilona Szeverényi and Ágnes Szakály. She was honored with the Award of "Contemporary Music Performances" playing contemporary chamber music on cimbalom.

During her college years, she was admitted to the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, State University, Viola Faculty, Budapest. Here she studied the viola with László Bársony and Sándor Nagy. She had the best recital at Hungarian Student Viola Competition in 2002. which was organized by the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. She graduated from the University in 2003, receiving her Masters of Music in Teaching and Performance degree with honours.

Petra was a regular visitor and active performer at the Master Course of György Kurtág in the International Bartók Seminar, in Szombathely. Kurtág's music has left a great and lasting impression on her. She is a frequent player of Kurtág's music as both cimbalom player and violist.

During her musical carrier, she was studying with prominent teachers and worked with world known conductors. In the last years she was a permanent viola substitute in different world known symphonic and chamber orchestras (Danubia Youth Symphony Orchestra, Budapest Chamber Symphony, Hungarian Virtuoses Orchestra in Hungary), and played the cimbalom in the Orchestra of Royal Academy of Music at the "Kurtág Festival" in London, 2002. She is an associate principal violist in the Musica Nova Symphonic Orchestra in Scottsdale, AZ, and a substitute player in the West Valley Orchestra, Sun City, AZ.

She also plays chamber music with Ildikó Vékony in cimbalom duo, and also performs with other instrument players: violinists, flutists, cellists and clarinet players.

Petra was a participant and the principal violist of the Colorado College Summer Music Festival in Colorado Springs (2004). She is not limited to classical music as she is an active performer of contemporary music, playing on Contemporary Music Festivals. Her repertoire extends from Baroque to the modern classics.

Resume

Education

• cimbalom (dulcimer), Béla Bartók Secondary Music School Budapest, 1992-1996;
• viola Béla Bartók Music High School, Budapest, 1996-1999;
• Bachelor of Music & Teacher of Cimbalom, Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, Teacher Training Collage, 1996-2000;
• Masters Degree in Viola teaching and performance from the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, State University,Budapest, 1999-2003.

Courses

• viola, chamber music of György Kurtág, Szombathely, 1999;
• viola, chamber music of György Kurtág, Szombathely, 2000;
• viola, master class of Dénes Zsigmondy, Budapest, 2001;
• cimbalom, chamber music of György Kurtág, Balatonföldvár, 2001;
• viola (principal violist), Colorado College Summer Music Festival, Colorado Springs, CO, 2004.

Orchestral experiences

• Danubia Youth Symphonic Orchestra;
• Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra;
• Hungarian Virtuoses Chamber Orchestra;
• Budapest Chamber Symphony (Weiner-Szász Chamber Orchestra);
• Musica Nova Symphonic Orchestra (associate principal violist), Scottsdale, AZ;
• West Valley Orchestra (substitute player), Sun City, AZ.

Award

Award of Artisjus Foundation for contemporary performances, 2001.

Downloads

berenyi_bio.doc
berenyi_resume.doc