Gábor
Tarkövi was born in Esztergom in 1969, descendant of a family of musicians.
At the age
of nine, he received his very first trumpet lesson from his father, István
Tarkövi. Raised in Csolnok, absorbing the local “Schwab” brass music
substantially influenced his musical career.
After
graduating at the Richter János Conservatory in Győr, Gábor became a student of
György Geiger at the Liszt Ferenc Teacher Training College. Gábor continued his
studies under Frigyes Varasdy at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music.
After
studying in Budapest, he absorbed important musical influences from György
Kurtág and Hans Gansch.
He started
his career at the Wurttemberg Philharmonic Orchestra as co-principal trumpet,
then moved on to the Berlin Symphonie Orchestra (today Konzerthausorchester
Berlin) as principal trumpet, and in 1999 to the Bayern Radio Symphony
Orchestra as principal trumpet.
2004 to
2019, he has been the principal trumpet player of the Berliner Philharmoniker.
Besides his
orchestral work, Gábor Tarkövi frequently plays chamber music in the Pro Brass
and the Austrian Brass Connection, in the Wien-Berlin Brass Quintet and in the
Berlin Philharmonic Brass Trio.
Regularly
performing in Europe, the USA and Asia, he is a renowned soloist worldwide,
presenting concerts with major orchestras as the Berliner Philharmoniker, the
Bavarian Radio Chamber Orchestra, China National Orchestra, New Japan
Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestra.
Under an
exclusive contract with the Swiss Tudor Classics label since 2008, four CD’s
have been produced. These are the Italian Trumpet Concertos with Mojca Erdmann,
Classical Trumpet Concertos with the Bamberg Symphony Orchestra conducted by
Karl-Heinz Steffens, Arioso & Brillante Concerto for Trumpet and Organ with
Peter Kofler, and the Brilliant Brass recording with the Wien-Berlin Brass
Quintett.
The
productions collected acclamation from critic and the trade.
He lectures
at the Herbert von Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic and presents
master courses all over the world.
Since 2018
Gábor Tarkövi is Professor for Trumpet at the Berlin University of the Arts.