Balázs Havasi is a Hungarian pianist and composer. As a contemporary composer, he has founded four different musical projects, including compositions for a symphony orchestra, rock drums, and piano.
Education
Havasi first played the piano at the age of 4. In 1996, at the age of 21, he was already a teacher at Weiner Leó Conservatory. He then went on to study at Franz Liszt Academy of Music. His professors included then rector Sándor Falvai and Jenő Jandó. During his years at the Academy of Music, Havasi won first prize at a piano competition of Yamaha Foundation of Europe. His musical development and career arc has been compared to Elton John.
Early albums (2000-2005)
In 2000, Havasi signed a five-year exclusive record contract with EMI. During the term of his EMI contract, he produced two soundtrack albums. Havasi did not extend the contract, instead establishing his own record company. Between 2005 and 2008, Havasi self-released the four solo piano albums Piano, Seven, Infinity, and RED.
Havasi founded the band The Unbending Trees with singer-lyricist Kristóf Hajós in 2006. The band was offered its first record contract by British record publisher and producer Ben Watt, and soon released its first album called Chemically Happy . Hajós wrote lyrics to the music of Havasi on the album. The Unbending Trees made its debut in London in 2007 and its first four-song EP was called "The First Day". Later, their song "You Are A Lover" was reworked by British singer Tracey Thorn. The Guardian newspaper said of the collaboration that they found it "utterly beguiling". Their second album titled Meteor was released in 2013.
Havasi Symphonic Production
At his concert held in Dubai in May 2008, Havasi met musical producer Csaba Marjai, and the two began to collaborate on creating the Havasi Symphonic Production, which made its debut in the Grand Hall of the Hungarian Academy of Music in 2009. The production featured nearly 100 artists, Dohnányi Symphony Orchestra and Budapest Academic Choir Society, together with almost 20 soloists of world music. At the premiere Havasi hit the same piano key 498 times in a single minute, surpassing the previous world record of 200. Verified by high definition camera, Guinness World Records Board awarded Havasi the title The Fastest Pianist of the World. The Havasi Symphonic Production has eleven platinum records. The Association of Hungarian Record Companies nominated the Havasi Symphonic album to the award 'Domestic Contemporary Classical Music Album of the Year'. As a part of his performances, he has collaborated with artists including Lisa Gerrard, Lebo M, Karl Jenkins, Leona Lewis, Ronan Keating, and Youssou N'Dour.
In 2010, Havasi launched a large-scale cultural project, to pay tribute to his grandparents and build a cultural bridge between China and Europe. It debuted in Budapest in 2011. Led by Havasi, European and Hungarian musicians gave a joint artistic performance with Yunnan Art Group from China. About 150 entertainers appeared on stage at the same time.
Drum&Piano
Havasi launched the Drum&Piano Project with his friend, percussionist Endi Kiss. The project is based on a project first performed at the TED Global conference in Scotland. The pairing have continued to tour through the mid-2010s.
Notable performances
In 2010, Havasi performed at the Shanghai World Expo Center with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra during the World Expo. Aired by Chinese Central Television, the concert was seen by an estimated 200 million viewers. In 2011, he performed at Trieste's Verdi Theatre. The event was broadcast by Rai Uno. In 2015, Havasi debuted at Carnegie Hall, which marked his first performance in the United States. This performance and the rest of his 2015 performances placed Havasi at the No. 2 spot of the Billboard Boxscore and Pollstar rankings for global ticket sales. At a series of four concerts held at Papp Laszlo Sports Arena in Budapest around this time, he performed in front of an audience of 46,000 people. In 2016, Havasi performed at the Wiener Stadthalle in Vienna. In 2017, Havasi performed at the Sydney Opera House, Romania, and the Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin. In 2018 Havasi performed at the Tauron Arena in Krakow, Ergo Arena in Gdansk, and The Barbican in London. In 2019, Havasi became the first Hungarian musician to headline a concert at Wembley Stadium in London, UK.
