Zoltan Kalman, born in Hungary, received his training at the prestigious Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. After graduation, he spent a year as principal clarinetist with the Hungarian State Orchestra, playing under the baton of such luminaries as Sir George Solti, Giuseppe Patane and Leonard Bernstein.

 

From 1983-1989, he served as a principal with the Budapest Opera Orchestra. He was a founding member of one of Hungary’s foremost wind quintets, Aquincum. His achievements in the musical field include second prize at the Prague International Clarinet Competition, and several awards with the Aquincum Wind Quintet. These include first prize in the 1986 International Chamber Winds Competition in Ancona, Italy, as well as the jury’s special award in the 1987 competition in Colmar, France. As a result, French National television has produced a documentary programme featuring the quintet. In 1988 he received the Hungarian Cultural Ministry’s “Musician of the Year” award. He had several solo and orchestra performances throughout Europe, including Austria, Belgium, France, England, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.

 

Since arriving in Canada in 1989, he has appeared as guest soloist with numerous orchestras and ensembles in the area, including the Georgian Bay Symphony, Symphony Hamilton, Niagara Symphony, Boris Brott Summer Music Festival Players, and the Gallery Players. He joined Trio Canada for a performance of the Weber Clarinet Quintet which was broadcast by Toronto’s CJRT.

 

In collaboration with the Niagara Symphony and the St. Catharines based theatre company Carousel Players, he performed in the “Theatre for Young People” in Winnipeg in 2005, in the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, as well as in Vancouver in 2006.

 

Mr. Kalman is principal clarinetist with both the Niagara Symphony and Symphony Hamilton, and appears regularly with the Brantford Symphony, Mississauga Opera Company and Scarborough Symphony.

 

In addition to his career as a musician, he also teaches clarinet, saxophone and Woodwind Techniques course, and conducts the University Wind Ensemble at Brock University in St. Catharines. Mr. Kalman also teaches clarinet at McMaster University in Hamilton as well as the University of Western Ontario’s Department of Performance Studies.