János Galli

From Wind Repertory Project
János Galli


Biography

János Galli (1921 - 2006), conductor, composer, music teacher, is a well-known and highly respected personality in Hungarian wind music life.

He graduated in music teaching from the Pedagogical College, Szeged, then gained his violin teaching diploma. From 1953 till 1955 as a teacher of solfege he was active in the Csongrád-Szentes Music Pedagogy Working Group; from 1955 to 1957 he taught solfege at the State Music School, where he was director until 1960. From 1956 in Csongrád he worked to establish the Elementary School specializing in music, which from 1960 functioned jointly with the State Music School, under a single directorate. Zoltán Kodály[[1]] himself spoke appreciatively about the resulting model, the first of its kind in Hungary, and the institution later became known nationwide as the Csongrád model. Here János Galli served as director from 1960 till 1983 and was active in retirement too, virtually to the end of his life. As a music teacher he directed numerous string and wind ensembles and choirs, made hundreds of transcriptions for wind bands, and instrumented works for ensembles of all sizes and formations. He received many distinctions for his activity in music pedagogy.

His work as a composer embraced almost every genre, from children’s opera to works for full orchestra, and chamber music for stringed and wind instruments; the most important of his works are his series of volumes of marches, folksong arrangements and church music. Throughout his life he devoted special attention to church music. In his retirement, as cantor and conductor at the Church of the Blessed Virgin, Csongrád, he made a dedicated and expert contribution to the musical life of the church. After finishing his active career as a music teacher he concentrated virtually all his energies on his work as a conductor, directing the Csongrád Wind Orchestra formed by him. Under his direction the ensemble was on several occasions acclaimed as of festival orchestra quality. In addition, for years he was a member of the praesidium of the Hungarian Association of Wind Ensembles; on his 75th birthday this organization awarded him the title of “Conductor for Life” . For him the highest recognition of his life and work was that in Csongrád the Basic Level Arts Teaching Institution he founded bears his name.


Works for Winds


Resources

None discovered thus far.