József Csapó

Date of birth: 09 January 1972
Occupation: counter-tenor (or is that a status?)
First musical appearance: entertaining passengers with the song "Sárga a csikó, sárga a gyerek rajta" on a crowded coach of the Székesfehérvár-Balatonaliga railway line way back in the middle of the 1970s.
Marital status: married
Colour of hair: brown with small white stripes
Memorable
- concert: the first solo alt in Bach's Magnificat on the 10-year-jubilee of Bach Singers. By that time I had learnt counter-tenor voice-formation for three weeks.
- travel: the travel to Stuttgart with UniCum Laude. Why? Ask Laci Dobos!
Favourite
- composer: J.S. Bach, C. Gesualdo
- singer: James Bowman, Barbara Bonney
- record: Adiemus
- book: "Conductor of the Thomas-church"
Hobby: collecting phonecards and Kinder-egg figures

He graduated in 1997, from University of Pécs. Through his teacher, Gabriella Jani, he was the first to give graduation concert as counter-tenor in 1996. He has attended the master-courses of Ashley Stafford and Alaister Thomson. Since 2002 he has sung also as tenor soloist. At this time he began his studies under Éva Lax, with whom he has close work-contact.

Although the base of his repertoire are the Baroque oratoric pieces, he is skilled in performing pieces from the age of Monteverdi to Arvo Pärt. His début in opera was in Händel’s Orlando with the Budapest Chamber Opera conducted by Philip Pickett in the program of Budapest Spring Festival, 2001.

As soloist and the member of the UL he has given concerts in Germany, Italy, France, Bohemia, Belgium, Austria, Netherlands, Malta, Romania, Japan and Taiwan.

Currently he works in the Hungarian National Choir.

The most significant works in his career so far: J.S. Bach: St. John Passion (Pécs Symphony Orchestra - conducted by Howard Williams) Händel: Messiah (Pécs Symphony Orchestra - conducted by Howard Williams), Händel: Messiah (conducted by Gábor Hollerung), Purcell: Hail, Bright Cecilia (Valér Jobbágy), Bach: Magnificat in E-flat major (Ars Longa Chamber Orchestra, Soma Dinyés), M. Haydn: Cantatas (conducted by Peter Scholz/Holland), Händel: Orlando (Budapest Chamber Orchestra, Philip Pickett), Monteverdi: Orfeo (Budapest Chamber Orchestra, Pál Németh), Monteverdi: Vespro (György Vashegyi), Puccini: Gianni Schicchi (Malta Opera Company, Alan Chircop), Bach: first volume of cantatas (Ars Longa Chamber Orchestra, Soma Dinyés), Beethoven: 9th Symphony (National Filharmonic Society, Mátyás Antal), Levente Gyöngyösi: Gólyakalifa (Hungarian State Opera, György Vashegyi)

E-mail: unicumlaude@yahoo.com