Attila Pacsay

Last updated

Attila Pacsay (born October 30, 1970) is a Hungarian composer who is particularly known for his music written for films, television, and the theatre. His compositions encompass a wide variety of music from chamber music and symphonic works to jazz pieces and contemporary music.

Contents

He began his musical studies in piano, trumpet, and trombone at age 7. A few years later, he started preparing for a career as composer. His compositions were performed by his own band. At age 14, he was accepted in the composition class of László Draskóczy and Attila Reményi at the János Richter Conservatory in the city of Győr. He received his college degree in composition at the Budapest Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, where he studied in the class of Emil Petrovics. After graduation, Mr. Pacsay began working as freelancer. Initially, he composed music for television and radio programs, and, in 1997, he met his childhood musician friend the director Géza M. Tóth, who was searching for a composer for his animated films. Their collaboration resulted in hundreds of short animated television ID-s and several animated short films. During these years, besides film scores, Mr. Pacsay composed music for theater and prepared symphonic music arrangements.

Pacsay has collaborated on films with such notable directors as Ferenc Rofusz, Ferenc Cako, and Géza M. Tóth. For his work on the film Ergo he won the award for Best Sound Design at the Animanima International Animation Festival in 2008, the prize for Best Film Score at the Kecskemet Animation Film Festival [1] (KAFF) in 2009, the award for Best Film Music at the Asolo Art Film Festival in 2010 and Best Sound Design Award at the ANIFEST ROZAFA 2010, Albania. For the music and sound design of Geza M. Toth's short feature film Mama he won "The Leo" Best Music Award at the 23rd Braunschweig Film Festival in 2009, and he was awarded a KAFF prize for Best Music in 2011 for his work on Sophie Tari's Szofita Land. [2] He also notably wrote the music for the computer animated short film Maestro which was nominated for Best Animated Short Film during the 79th Academy Awards in 2007.

Besides his work as film composer, Mr. Pacsay is constantly present at other areas of the music scene. For example, his classical orchestrations are on the repertoire of, among others, the Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra of the city of Veszprém. In the lighter genres, Mr. Pacsay is known as the permanent orchestrator for Tibor Tátrai.

Since 2001 he has served on the faculty of the Media Institute at Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design in Budapest.

Film and television scores

2021: Post Mortem (directed by Péter Bergendy)

2020: Zárójelentés (directed by István Szabó)

2019: Tall Tales (directed by Attila Szász)

2018: Trezor (directed by Péter Bergendy)

2017: Budapest Noir (directed by Éva Gárdos)

2016: The Carer (directed by János Edelényi)

2015: Fever at Dawn (directed by Péter Gárdos)

2014: The Undesirable (directed by (Michael Curtiz)

2014: Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks (directed by Arthur Allan Seidelman)

2013: Heaven's Vanguard (directed by Emil Goodman)

2013: "Kispárizs" (directed by Orsi Nagypál)

2012: The Lady with Long Hair (directed by Barbara Bakos)

2011: "Patrick and Theo" (directed by Márton Nagy, Márton Kovács, Ervin B.Nagy)

2011: "Henry Waltz" (directed by Emil Goodman)

2011: "It Happened in TLV" (directed by Balazs Juszt)

2010: Szofita Land (directed by Szofita)

2009: "Orsolya" (directed by Bella Szederkényi)

2009: "Freeze" (directed by Balázs Tóth)

2009: Mama (directed by Géza M. Tóth)

2009: Detti and Drot (directed by István Heim)

2009: Touch (directed by Ferenc Cakó)

2008: Ergo (directed by Géza M. Tóth)

2007: Face (directed by Ferenc Cakó)

2006: Ready, Steady, Money! (directed by Miklós Varga and Zoltán Szalay)

2006: Deja Vu (directed by Béla Klingl)

2005: Maestro (directed by Géza M.Tóth)

2004: Dog's Life (directed by Ferenc Rofusz)

2003: Crash (directed by Zsolt Richly)

2001: Piroska's World, Part 5-6 (directed by István Heim)

2000: Urasima Taro (directed by Éva Mandula)

1999: Piroska's World, Part 1-4 (directed by István Heim)

1998: From To (directed by László Hegedűs II)

Awards and nominations

- Hungarian Film Week - Best Original Music for Post Mortem, nominated, 2021

- Parma International Music Film Festival - Violetta d'Oro Best Original Score for Tall Tales, winner, 2020

- Hungarian Film Week - Best Original Music for Tall Tales, winner, 2020

- Parma International Music Film Festival - Violetta d'Oro Best Original Score for Trezor, nominated, 2019

- Hungarian Film Week - Best Original Music for Trezor, Television Film Category, winner, 2019

- Hungarian Film Week - Best Original Music for Budapest Noir, nominated, 2018

- International Music+Sound Awards - Best Original Composition for Budapest Noir, nominated, 2018

- Hollywood Music in Media Awards - Best Original Music for Budapest Noir, Independent Foreign Language Film Category, winner, 2017

- Hollywood Music in Media Awards - Best Original Music for The Carer, Independent Film Category, nominated, 2016

- International Sound & Film Music Festival - Crystal Pine Best Original Score for The Carer, winner, 2016

- International Sound & Film Music Festival - Crystal Pine Best Original Score for Fever at Dawn, nominated, 2016

- Parma International Music Film Festival - Violetta d'Oro Best Original Score for Fever at Dawn, winner, 2016

- International Music+Sound Awards - Best Original Composition for The Carer, nominated, 2016

- International Music+Sound Awards - Best Original Composition for Fever at Dawn, nominated, 2016

- International Jerry Goldsmith Awards - Best Original Music for Patrick & Theo, Animated Short Film Category, nominated, 2012

- Kecskemet Animation Festival - Best Music Award for Szofita Land, winner, 2011

- International Jerry Goldsmith Awards - Best Original Music for Szofita Land, nominated, 2011

- Asolo Art Film Festival - Best Film Music for Ergo, winner, 2010

- Anifest Rozafa - Best Sound Design for Ergo, winner, 2010

- Kecskemet Animation Festival - Best Music Award for Ergo, winner, 2009

- Braunschweig International Film Festival - 'The Leo' Best Music Award for Mama, winner, 2009

Related Research Articles

Hungarian culture is characterised by its distinctive cuisine, folk traditions, poetry, theatre, religious customs, music and traditional embroidered garments. Hungarian folk traditions range from embroidery, decorated pottery and carvings to the lively celebrations of folk music. Historically, Hungarian music also largely consists of Roma Music alongside classical and baroque pieces. Noted Hungarian authors include Sándor Márai, Imre Kertész, Péter Esterházy, Magda Szabó and János Kodolányi. Imre Kertész is particularly noteworthy for having won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2002.

László Melis was a Hungarian composer and violinist. He writes primarily in the minimal style and his compositions are often characterized by a propulsive, bouncy quality. Melis was a founding member of the Hungarian new music group Group 180, which during its existence (1978–1990) performed and recorded five of his compositions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">László Sáry</span> Hungarian composer and pianist

László Sáry is a Hungarian composer and pianist. In the 1970s he began composing in a minimal style. He received recognition in 2002 for having created the scores for numerous animated works and was awarded a prize by the Kecskemét Animation Film Festival Jury for Best Music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pannonia Film Studio</span> Animation studio in Budapest, Hungary

Pannonia Film Studio was the largest animation studio in Hungary, based in the capital of Budapest. It was formed in 1951, becoming independent in 1957. The studio is said to have closed sometime around 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferenc Cakó</span> Hungarian animator

Ferenc Cakó is a Hungarian artist whose specialty is performing sand animation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Franz Liszt Academy of Music</span> Concert hall and music conservatory in Budapest, Hungary

The Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music is a music university and a concert hall in Budapest, Hungary, founded on November 14, 1875. It is home to the Liszt Collection, which features several valuable books and manuscripts donated by Franz Liszt upon his death, and the AVISO studio, a collaboration between the governments of Hungary and Japan to provide sound recording equipment and training for students. The Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music was founded by Franz Liszt himself.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">István Orosz</span>

István Orosz is a Hungarian painter, printmaker, graphic designer and animated film director. He is known for his mathematically inspired works, impossible objects, optical illusions, double-meaning images and anamorphoses. The geometric art of István Orosz, with forced perspectives and optical illusions, has been compared to works by M. C. Escher.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Líviusz Gyulai</span> Hungarian graphic designer (1937–2021)

Líviusz Gyulai was a Hungarian graphic artist, printmaker, illustrator.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ferenc Rofusz</span> Hungarian animator (born 1946)

Ferenc Rofusz is a Hungarian animator. He is known for the 1980 Academy Award-winning animated short The Fly.

Sándor Reisenbüchler was a Hungarian animated film director and graphic artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fernando Trueba</span>

Fernando Rodríguez Trueba, known as Fernando Trueba, is a Spanish book editor, screenwriter, film director and producer.

<i>Maestro</i> (2005 film)

Maestro is a 2005 Hungarian computer-animated short film written, produced and directed by Géza M. Tóth. It won the Amaryllis Tamás Award at the 7th Kecskemét Animation Film Festival, and was nominated for Best Animated Short Film at the 79th Academy Awards in 2007. Composer Attila Pacsay wrote the film's music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcell Jankovics</span> Hungarian film director (1941–2021)

Marcell Jankovics was a Hungarian graphic artist, film director, animator and author. He is best known for the animated films Johnny Corncob and Son of the White Mare.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jean-François Laguionie</span>

Jean-François Laguionie is a French animator, film director and producer of animation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cartoon Saloon</span> Irish animation studio

Cartoon Saloon is an Irish animation film, short film and television studio based in Kilkenny which provides film TV and short film services. The studio is best known for its animated feature films The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, The Breadwinner and Wolfwalkers. Their works have received five Academy Award nominations, their first four feature length works all received nominations for Best Animated Feature and one for Best Animated Short Film. The company also developed the cartoon series Skunk Fu!, Puffin Rock, Dorg Van Dango and Vikingskool. As of 2020, the studio employs 300 animators.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Zoltán Szilágyi Varga</span>

Zoltán Szilágyi Varga is a Hungarian graphic artist and animation director. He has received Béla Balázs Prize for his work, and has been honored at five separate Kecskemét Animation Film Festivals (KAFF), winning two memorial awards as well as prizes for Best Animation, Best Visual Language, and Best Script twice each.

The history of Hungarian animation begins in 1914 and carries through to the modern day. Starting with short promotional cartoons prior to the two World Wars, Hungarian animation underwent a sporadic and halting development during the turbulent war years which were characterized in large part by the emigration of much of the field's top talent. This exodus slowed dramatically during the 1950s when the Hungarian Communist Party took power and the Iron Curtain took shape.

Kecskemét Animation Film Festival (KAFF) is an animated film festival held biennially during the month of June in Kecskemét, Hungary. Although the bulk of the festival is oriented toward efforts in Hungarian animation, the associated KAFF-sponsored Festival of European Animated Feature Films and TV Specials has opened the festival to international works as well. The festival was first held in 1985 and was opened to international works of animation in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Károly Horváth</span> Musical artist

Károly Horváth was a Romanian-born composer and musician. He spent most of his professional life in Hungarian theatre.

Berry and Dolly is a Hungarian animated series for children based on the book series of the same name by Bartos Erika. All four current series are produced and directed by Géza M. Tóth through the KEDD Stúdió animation studio.

References

  1. "Awards of the 6th International Festival of Animated Feature Films and TV Specials". Kecskemet Animation Film Festival. 2009. Archived from the original on 2010-10-13. Retrieved 2015-12-03.
  2. 10. Kecskeméti Animációs Filmfesztivál 7. Európai Animációs Játékfilm Fesztivál . Kecskeméti Animáció Film Fesztivál. 2011.