Born in Hungary in 1974, Gabor Varga’s journey as a clarinettist began at the University of Szeged and the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where he earned his diplomas in 1996 and 1998. He later advanced his studies at the prestigious Paris Conservatoire, completing his postgraduate degree in 2002. His professional orchestral career began in 1995, when he was appointed principal clarinettist for the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra. A year later, he assumed the same role at Concerto Budapest, and between 1997 and 2022, he served as principal clarinettist of the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. From 2005 to 2007, while on sabbatical from Budapest, Varga held the position of principal clarinettist with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra. Since 2001, he has also performed regularly with the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra. Varga’s achievements have earned him several national (1985, 1988, 1992) and international (1994, 1995, 2001) awards. His performances have taken him to over 25 countries, including the United States, Japan, China and the United Kingdom. He has graced prestigious stages such as the Musikverein in Vienna and the Gewandhaus in Leipzig, and has appeared at numerous music festivals and clarinet conventions worldwide. A strong advocate for contemporary music, Varga has premiered a number of chamber works and commissioned concertos from leading Hungarian composers such as Kovács, Durkó and Vajda. He continues to champion new music for Hungarian audiences, performing works such as Weinberg’s Sonata and Thea Musgrave’s Clarinet Concerto. His discography includes recordings of chamber music and clarinet concertos by Weber and Mozart for Hungarian Radio, as well as CDs featuring Nielsen’s Clarinet Concerto, Kovács’s Dreamdances, and works by Družecký and Vajda. In addition to his performing career, Varga is a sought-after teacher. He has delivered masterclasses across Europe, Asia and the Americas, at institutions such as the Beijing Central Conservatory, the Academy of Music in Katowice, and the Royal College of Music in London. Since beginning his teaching career as an assistant at the Liszt Academy in 2001, he has held positions at NAFA in Singapore, the University of Debrecen, and the University of Győr. Currently, Varga holds the International Chair of Clarinet at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, and since 2022, he has been an Associate Professor of Clarinet at the Jacobs School of Music, Bloomington, Indiana.
