Thomas Kornél

USA/Hungary

11 November 1986

Fun-Tasto: Fun and Beauty

Fun-Tasto: Reflexion and Exhilaration

"These two pieces, originally related but now separate in the competition, are about joy. The joy of playing for an audience. The joy of listening. The joy of tackling hard musical passages and succeeding. The joy of bringing joy to others. The joy of enjoying each other’s company.

Fun and Beauty

I. Fun: Recapturing the feelings of a fun but often fuzzy night out at the dance club.

II. Beauty: The mystery of beauty invoking both bliss and sorrow. Extremely intriguing.

Reflexion and Exhilaration

III. Reflection: A reminiscent thought constantly reappearing.

IV. Exhilaration: High-octane dance"

Kornel Thomas is an award-winning conductor and composer. He won two prizes at the 2020 MUPA Composers Competition, one in the Chamber Orchestra Category and one in the Chamber Music Category. His works have been recently performed at Palace of the Arts (MUPA) Budapest, ICA’s ClarinetFest, Kutztown University, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Ithaca College and Ördögkatlan Festival.

Thomas won second prize and two special prizes at the Opera Nice Conducting Competition in 2018. In 2021, he made his debut with the Hungarian State Opera and Ballet conducting Heggie’s Dead Man Walking, Gluck’s Don Juan, and Lully’s Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme. Since 2019, Thomas works on a regular basis with the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra. His work with professional ensembles include the ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Győr Philharmonic Orchestra, Dohnányi Orchestra Budafok, Danubia Orchestra Óbuda, MAV Symphony Orchestra, Miskolc Symphony Orchestra, Zugló Philharmonic, Alba Regia Symphony Orchestra, Nice Philharmonic Orchestra, Argovia Philharmonic, North Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Teplice, Denver Philharmonic Orchestra, Evergreen Chamber Orchestra, and Fort Wayne Philharmonic. Thomas was assistant conductor of Savaria Symphony Orchestra from 2017-2020.

Thomas studied conducting at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and composition at the Saint Stephen King Conservatory Budapest.