Gonda's Microcosmos
János Gonda, musician, teacher, editor, author, former vice president of International Jazz Federation, long-time correspondent of JAZZ FORUM, turned 60 this year. The internationally known professor of jazz, who has enormously contributed to the development and institutialization of Hungarian jazz, was presented with a special goverment prize, and the Hungarian Jazz Federation elected him as lifetime honorary president. Gonda started the jazz conservatory in Budapest, which has just recently become a department of the Ferenc Liszt Music Academy. He also founded the Tatabánya International Jazz Camp. The author of the basic jazz handbook, written in Hungarian, he is the ultimate authority in all affairs concerning jazz in his country. Now, after so many years of public service and activities, he resigned from the active presidency of Hungarian Jazz Federation, and plans to concentrate on composing. He has just finished his major composition titled Jazz Microcosmos, after the idea of Béla Bartók’s Microcosmos.
(Jazz Forum, 1992/5-6)