Balázs Szokolay Dongó

He plays folk music and folk-music-inspired improvisations on the bagpipe, shepherds’ flute and saxophone. His folk music arrangements and compositions are inspired by the deep study of the Carpathian Basin’s folklore, and this is how his own improvisational musical style has formed, which carries the musical culture of old times and at the same time produces a modern, contemporary sound. As a folk musician Dongó has regularly appeared in the Hungarian musical scene since 1990. An important part of his activities comprises his workshop where his art of playing folk music is consummated by historical music and improvisation. Besides giving concerts he composes and creates applied music for dance and puppet-show performances.

In 1994 he was awarded the Young Master of Folk Art title. In 2001 he gave a solo concert of Hungarian and Croatian bagpipe at the Faculty of Folk Music of the Glasgow Academy of Music and Drama. He taught the bagpipe at the Óbuda Folk Music School between 2003 and 2007. In 2005 he was awarded the Artisjus prize. He plays the shepherds’ flute, bagpipe, soprano saxophone and a special Hungarian woodwind instrument called tárogató.