Debora Halasz - Bach - Piano Works (2023)

The Brzilian pianist and harpsichordist, Débora Halász, studied in Såo Paulo at the Magdalena Tagliaferro Academy, folowing the Alfred Cortot school of playing and later with Beatriz Balzi and Myrian Dauelsberg. At the same time she gradueted in Law at the Sao Paulo University (USP). She gave her debut with the Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo (OSESP) at the age of 15. Four years later the 'Critics Prize' (APCA) nominated her as the best soloist of the year for her interpretation of Sergei Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3 and the distinguished pianist Ingrid Haebler appointed her as one of the most promissing talents in the piano field. Débora Halász was winner of the most important competitions in her native country. In 1989 she went with a DAAD scholarship to Germany.

Praised by the critics for her debut recordings as a “superb virtuoso with a prodigious technique“, Déborta Halász is among the leading South American pianists of her generation. After her studies in Cologne she was engaged by the Recording Label BIS in Sweeden where she recorded works by Alberto Ginastera, Dmitri Shostakovich, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, among others. The complete recording of Heitor Villa-Lobos' piano music, an audacious project, was enthusiastically acclaimed by the international press as "the most successful account of Villa-Lobos on record" (Fanfare, USA) and by the American Record Guide :"impossible to imagine a more powerful advocate for this music than Débora Halász. Her vivid pianism brings every note to life!"

Débora Halász Halász has performed around the world, in Europe, South America and North America, playing works for solo piano, chamber works. She is guest at many European- , South- and North American Music Festivals and Concert Series as Festival Bath-England, Festival Santo Tirso-Portugal, Festival Menton-France, Brandenburgischer Sommer- Germany, Festival Dellarte-Brazil, Mikkeli–Finland, etc. and a partner by musicians as Patrick Gallois, Ingolf Turban , Lavard Skou Larsen, Sebastian Hess, Sophia Reuter and Wen Sinn Yang. With her husband she created in 1993 the Duo Halasz, guitar and piano/harpsichord praised by the critic as “magnificent”, “an exciting team” and “a fascinating and multifarious experience”.

Débora Halász’ passion for the baroque music brought her to the search of an historical instrument that could allow a huge variety of sounds and possibilities. She came to an instrument by Hieronymous Haas, who together with his son constituted the most important family of harpsichord makers in Germany. The harpsichords of the Hass family are noted for their complex dispositions and are the only 18th century instruments to include with any regularity a 16' register. Halász plays an historic copy of a 1734 dated Haas instrument, specially made for her. On this instrument she begans to record the complete works for harpsichord by the portuguese Baroque composer Carlos Seixas. This project in a total of 5 CD’s is an invitation of the Record Company Naxos in a co-production with the Bavarian Radio.

Débora Halász teaches at the the Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Munich and at the State Musikhochschule in Nuremberg.