Gábor Kollmann is an outstanding alto saxophonist and clarinetist, leader and founding member of the Budapest Jazz Orchestra. A graduate of the Liszt Academy of Music, he has played with such renowned jazz artists as James Morrison, Ed Neumeister, Lee Harper, Eric Kleinschuster, Heinz von Hermann and Ladislav Fidri and has performed at prestigious festivals such as Montreux, Cannes and Bingen Jazz Festival.
He has been an active musician for several decades, playing or having played with the Fourtunes, Ricardo Salsa Club, Andrea Malek Band and Pege Quartet, among others, and founded his own quintet in 2017, bringing his sophisticated style and deep musical experience to every stage.
A leading figure in the Hungarian jazz scene, he is revered for his expressive alto saxophone, soprano saxophone and clarinet playing. Kollmann’s musical style is deeply rooted in mainstream jazz, drawing from the bebop and post-bop traditions, and his dynamism and improvisational skills are particularly well respected.
His artistic work extends beyond the stage: he is a dedicated educator and teacher at the Béla Bartók Conservatory in Budapest, where he mentors the next generation of jazz. For 18 years, he has launched and led the BJO Big Band and Jazz Camp, which this year he is taking to an international cooperative level.
He has also been involved in a number of innovative projects that combine jazz with other genres – most memorably his involvement in the jazz reinterpretation of Queen’s music, which demonstrates his musical versatility and openness to crossing genre boundaries.