Bitef

Szilard Mezei Born on 12. February 1974 in Senta, Vojvodina, Serbia and Montenegro. He finished studies of violin in Senta and Subotica. He studied composition for four years at the Faculty of Music in Belgrade with prof. Zoran Eric. As a violinist, violist, double bass player and composer he held concerts in various formations (from duo to nonett) on different places, like in Zenta, Kanizsa (festival Jazz, improvisatlve music... '95, '97, '9B, 2000, 2001), Subotica, Novi Sad, Maribor (Slwenia), Szeged (festivals MASZK '94, '97), Budapest ( FONÖ '97), Gyergyöszentmiklös (Romania), Leverkusen (Germany, Leverkusener Jazz Tage' 91), Düsseidorff (Germany, Düsseldorfer Altsadt Flerbst' 96, special prise for improvisation), Copenhagen and Aarhus (Denmark, Magic Music Festival '99), Kluj-Napoca (Romania, Charta Minimumia Festival 2000), Odorhei Secuiesc (Romania), His orchestra plays a contemporary improvised music, mostly performing his own compositions. As a composer, he's interested in relationship beetwen improvisation and composition (like the aleatory of Witold Lutoslawski and compositions of Anthony Braxton), jazz and authentic folk music. As a young musician, he followed the line of B. Bartćk and Gy. Szabados. He is activly employed with scenic music, too, and he also plays Hungarian authentic folk music in authentic instruments (like koboz and oud). He has created a lot of solos since 1990, which were performed in many places in Vojvodina, his String trio was performed in the festival on contemporary music Ondlne '9B in Roverato, Italy. With composition Trio for flute, piano and percussions he got the 3rd prize at The 7th International Review of Composers in Belgrade, 1998 in the students category. He got the Sterija prize for the music in theatre-piece Szelfditesek. As a performer and participant he took part in many workshops for

improvised music (among others, with Tim Hodgkinson in Budapest) and intuitive music. He played with musicians/improvisers like Matthias Schubert, Tamas Geröly, György Szabados, Mihäly Dresch, Michael Hornstein, Tim Hodgkinson. His writings about music were published in many of periodicals in Serbia and Montenegro and Hungary. At the moment he leads the Mazei Szilard Quartet and Mazel Trio. MUSICIANS Albert Markos He was born in 1967, in Cluj - Romania, where he started and finally quit his classical music studies at the Music Secondary School and the Music Academy - at which he has never graduated. Between 1988 and 1992 he worked in different orchestras in Transylvania ( The Philharmonic Orchestra of Marosvasarhely , The Symphonic Orchestra of Kolozsvar and The Concordia Chamber Orchestra). In 1992 he broke up with classical music for good, and since then he has tried to find new goals for his work as a performer and composer, as well as to develop his sensitivity towards new media. Since 1993 he has been living in Hungary. He is part of several active Groups. As a composer he has written music for theatre and dance productions. As an improviser and experimental musician he has played at major festivals in: Budapest, Pecs, Szeged, Krakow, Warsaw, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Moers, Belgrade, Hamburg, Frankfurt, London, Paris, Reims, Bordeaux, etc. He has contributed to several recordings, some of my pieces have been released on compilation CDs. He is a member of Tilos Radio and organiser of the Szünetjel Improvised Music Festival.