Béla Kovács

Béla Kovács (1 May 1937 – 7 November 2021 ) was a Hungarian clarinetist.

Education Kovács was born in Tatabánya, Hungary. He graduated from the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary.

Performance career Kovács was principal clarinetist with the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra and the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra from 1956, until he retired in 1981.

Teaching career Kovács was a Professor of Clarinet at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest and at the University of Music and Dramatic Arts in Graz, Austria. He composed a set of concert etudes for clarinet called "Hommages" that are written in the style of a number of different composers and are studied and performed widely today.

Compositions Hommages for Clarinet Solo

Hommage à J.S. Bach Hommage à G. Gershwin Hommage à N. Paganini Hommage à C.M. von Weber Hommage à C. Debussy Hommage à M. de Falla Hommage à R. Strauss Hommage à B. Bartók Hommage à Z. Kodály Hommage à A. Khachaturian Studies and Exercises I Learn to Play the Clarinet 1 I Learn to Play the Clarinet 2 Everyday Scale Exercises After you, Mr. Gershwin!