Gyula Bánkövi was born in 1966 in Dunaújváros (Hungary). Initially he wanted to become a geologist. He has maintained a very close contact with nature all his life. This is evidenced, for instance, by his first successful piece entitled Hydrophony. He studied with Miklós Kocsár, and subsequently Attila Bozay, at the Franz Liszt Music Academy in Budapest. He is a prizewinner of several competitions for composers. For the past ten years he has been working for the 'Bartók Channel' of Hungarian Radio, contributing features on the promotion of contemporary Hungarian music and on the latest offerings by recording companies world-wide.

Selected works: Hydrophony, electroacoustic music (1990), Struggles for percussion instruments (1991), Pictures from the Past, electroacoustic music (1992), Hétpupú zivatar (Thunderstorm of the seven humps) for children's choir (1992), Brass-segments for wind quintet (1995), Consciousness for baritone and chamber ensemble, to a poem by Ferenc Szab- (1996), Sound of Soul, sound poem based on fragments from 'Zemplén' (1996), Gli ultimi sospiri dell'alberi for flute (1997), Dreams for flute and piano (1997), Dialog for four flutes (1998), Fejenagy (Big-head) for children's choir (1998), Silver-winged Butterflies, acoustic fantasy for flute, cello and electronics (1999), The Flowers of the Memory for bagpipe and harpsichord (2000), The Gate of the Hill for string quartet and electronics, after Rodin's sculpture (2001), Accord(ion) Concerto for accordion and large orchestra (2002), Current for piano and string orchestra (2002), Exclamations (Aufschreiungen) for string orchestra and two marimbas (2002).

The piece Exclamations was commissioned by the 'Warsaw Autumn' Friends' Foundation with the financial support of the Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung.
The scoring for string orchestra (5 + 4 violins, three violas, two cellos and a double-bass) with two marimbas gave me the possibility to realize the idea of a unique, symmetric, semicircular instrumental lay-out, as well as to bring out the particular instruments which were given solo parts.
The title of the piece expresses a belief that a healthy spirit is forced to exist in a noisy and gloomy world; and to stress its presence, it is forced to scream a longing for a more beautiful and happier existence.

Gyula Bánkövi