Marton Juhasz

Swiss-Hungarian drummer Marton Juhasz’s career began in 2005 when he won national first prize for solo percussion in Hungary. In 2006 he studied at Drumtech, London where he was awarded prize for top overall student. In 2007 he was accepted to Berklee College of Music, Boston and graduated summa cum laude in 2011. In 2010 he was the recipient of the Foundation for Hungarian Percussion Culture’s yearly award. After returning from the United States in 2012 Marton has been active in Europe and has had the opportunity to work with musicians such as Lionel Loueke, Gilad Hekselman, Wolfgang Muthspiel, Perico Sambeat, Byron Wallen, Nikki Iles, Josephine Davies, Peter King, Bela Szakcsi Lakatos, Szymon Mika, Robert Szakcsi Lakatos, Kenji Herbert, Olga Konkova, Matyas Gayer, Kristof Bacso, Viktor Toth, Mark Nightingale, Stefan Gottfried, Daniel Szabo, Marton Fenyvesi, Nikoletta Szoke, Jozsef Barcza Horvath, Matyas Szandai, Ondrej Stveracek, Mike Gotthard, Aron Talas, Rob Luft, Gabor Bolla, Cesar Joaniquet, Janos Aved, Alan Benzie, Arpad Tzumo and Rozina Patkai. In 2014 and 2015 Marton was voted ‘Drummer of the Year’ on the JazzMa online readers’ poll. In 2017 ‘Pannon Blue’ featuring Lionel Loueke won ‘Best Hungarian Jazz Album’ in the Gramofon Awards. In 2017 Marton became the first person to hold the drum chair of the prestigious Focusyear Ensemble directed by Wolfgang Muthspiel. During the one year program the band received intensive coaching from some of the most respected names in contemporary jazz: Guillermo Klein, Jeff Ballard, Django Bates, Theo Bleckmann, Avishai Cohen, Larry Grenadier, Dave Holland, Lionel Loueke, Adrian Mears, Joshua Redman, Kurt Rosenwinkel, Gwilym Simcock, Becca Stevens, Steve Swallow & Mark Turner. In 2018 the Alan Benzie Trio’s second album ‘Little Mysteries’ won the ‘Best Album’ prize at the Scottish Jazz Awards. Starting in 2019 Marton will perform with Christian Muthspiel’s Orjazztra Project. Highlight performances of recent years include: London Jazz Festival – with the Alan Benzie Trio (2018) Vienna Jazz Festival – with the Focusyear Band (2018) Porgy & Bess, Vienna – with the Kristof Bacso Triad feat. Gilad Hekselman (2018) Die Unterfahrt, München – as part the Alan Benzie Trio Album Release Tour (2018) Volkshaus Basel – with the Focusyear Band feat. Wolfgang Muthspiel (2017) The Jazz Dock, Prague – with the Matyas Gayer Trio feat. Ondrej Stveracek (2016) Opus Jazz Club, Budapest – with the Kristof Bacso Triad feat. Lionel Loueke – Live CD Recording (2015) Jazzycolors Festival, Paris – as leader (2015) Club 606, London – with Peter King (2011), with Gareth Williams & Yuri Golubev (2015) Saransk Jazz Festival – with the Kristof Bacso Quartet feat. Kornel Fekete Kovács (2014) Palace of Arts, Budapest – with Mark Nightingale & Budapest Jazz Orchestra (2014) The Standard, Copenhagen – with Benjamin Koppel (2014) Mosaic Jazz Festival, Sibiu – with Nikoletta Szőke, Robert Lakatos & Jozsef Barcza Horvath (2014) B-flat, Berlin – with Viktor Toth (2013) Hungarian National Radio, Budapest – with Sandor Lakatos ‘Soso’ (2010)