Zsolt Serei’s musical style emerges from the influences of the 70s avant-gardists, but more recently has developed in his own unique voice – one that conveys silence and meditative thoughts within a unique sound atmosphere. His timeless creations float in long phrases with spaces to breathe, characterized by refinement of sound, subtle tone coloring, and a rich variety of moods.

Among his scores we find numerous chamber works, vocal and orchestral works. His opera “Egypercesek” was premiered in 1999, based on the short stories of István Örkény. He has also written several pieces for children, including The “Cat and the Violin,” based on Menuhin’s tale, which premiered at MUPA in 2015. 

Serei has been a defining member of the New Music Studio in Budapest since 1970, and in 1989 he founded the instrumental group Componensemble, which premiered works by Boulez, Kurtág, and Morton Feldman. As artistic director of that group, Serei made radio and TV recordings of compositions by many Hungarian contemporary composers. He is currently in the musical spotlight for his ethereal orchestrations of Kurtág’s two recent operas: “Fin de partie” and “Die Stechardin.”

Serei’s works, as well as his ensembles, have won him several Artisjus awards as an outstanding creator of new Hungarian music and for their performances, as well as the Erkel Prize (2003), the Bartók-Pásztory Prize (2010) and the Soros Foundation Prize (1999). He has been teaching at the Liszt Academy since 1986. He is a full member of the Széchenyi Academy of Arts (2014).