Máté Bella

Máté Bella (, ; born 28 November 1985) is a Hungarian composer and university professor at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Hungary. He has worked across multiple genres of music, including classical contemporary, opera, choir, musicals, theater music and pop music.

Early life and education Máté Bella was born 28 November 1985 in Budapest, Hungary.

Bella began his musical studies at Ferenc Erkel Primary School for Music. He later attended the Weiner Leó Secondary Music School in Budapest, where he specialized in composition and piano. He continued his music education between 2002 and 2006 at the Béla Bartók Music Institute, where he focused on composition under the mentorship of Miklós Kocsár. After graduating in 2006, he was admitted to the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, where he completed his studies in 2011. In 2013, he spent a semester at the Krzysztof Penderecki Academy of Music in Kraków on an Erasmus scholarship. Máté was awarded a scholarship for the New National Excellence Program in 2017, and in 2018, he received his summa cum laude doctoral degree. This was followed by the recognition of his ensemble piece Chuang Tzu's Dream by the International Music Council in Lisbon in 2010. This piece was performed by the London Sinfonietta. That same year he became the first composer to receive the Junior Prima Award, which recognizes individuals under 30 for outstanding achievements in various fields. In 2011, one of his compositions, written for a play at the Hungarian National Theatre, won the Theatre Critics Award. His song Mostantól (From Now On), co-written with Gergő Rácz, won the A Dal 2020 competition, receiving the Petőfi Music Award for Song of the Year and the Hungarian Music Awards Fonogram prize for Best Hungarian Modern Pop/Rock Album or Recording of the Year. In 2025, he won the Artisjus Award in the 'Classical Music Work of the Year' category for his composition The Cheerleaders.

Bella is a member of the Artisjus Committee of Classical Music Critics, the Association of Hungarian Composers, and the 'Musician/Composer' section of the Hungarian Film Academy Association. He is also a co-founder of Studio 5, a contemporary composers' group established in 2016. and he habilitated in 2025.

Main works Chamber music

Ensemble

Orchestral works Compositions for orchestra

Compositions for string orchestra

Vocal music Choral works

Operas WorkYear Spring Awakening 2012 The Coronation of Poppea (L'incoronazione di Poppea)2019

Musicals TitleTheatrePremiere Who the F**k is Lady Domina? Academy of Drama and Film, Budapest 2009 Better than Sex Courtyard Theatre, London 2010 The Demon Cat Madách Theatre, Budapest 2010 Budapest Operetta and Musical Theatre 2018freewill >>>>Erkel Theatre, Budapest2023

Songs

Pop music

Theatre music TitleTheatrePremiere Widows(Özvegyek) Academy of Drama and Film, Budapest 2007 Berzsian and Dideki(Berzsián és Dideki) National Theatre, Budapest 2009 Intrigue and Love(Ármány és Szerelem) Müpa Budapest, Budapest 2009 Hungarian Celebration(Magyar Ünnep) National Theatre, Budapest 2010 Mephisto National Theatre, Budapest 2013 Danton's Death(Danton halála) Comedy Theatre, Budapest 2013 The Evil Spirit Lumpazivagabundus(Lumpáciusz Vagabundusz) Comedy Theatre, Budapest 2014 The Imaginary Invalid(A képzelt beteg) Budapest Puppet Theatre, Budapest 2016 Frau Holle(Holle anyó) Budapest Puppet Theatre, Budapest 2017

Film scores TitleNationality, GenreDirector; Producer(s)Date Indián Hungarian tragicomedy filmIstván P. Szabó; Placebo Stars, Sparks 2013 Just Drop Dead(Halj már meg! ) Hungarian feature filmZoltán Kamondi; FocusFox Studio, Honeymood Films 2016

Discography +Compilation albums Work(s) Album Publisher Year Other Máté Bella: Moods / Stimmungen TON 4 Records 2005 MessageMessage 02 Young Hungarian Composers for Cimbalom Hungaroton 2009 Beáta Móri Chuang Tzu's Dream New Hungarian Music Forum 2009 composers' competition BMC HMIC 2010 CD 1 Contemporary Classics I: Moods Erwin Pitsch Publishing / TON 4 Records 2012 Valami más (single) Sony Music 2013 Lilla Polyák It Can't Be Over (kislemez) Schubert Music Publishing 2014 Fool Moon Emlékkép 3 GoldRecord Hungary 2016 Tibor Kocsis Bolondod Voltam (Sante Cruze Remix) (Feat. Ív) (single) Schubert Music Publishing 2016 Gergő Rácz, Ív Crack my code (single) Magneoton 2018 Reni Tolvai Everest (single) Magneoton 2018 Reni Tolvai Resonance Máté Bella 2026 Cantemus Mixed Choir

Awards and competition prizes

Awards

Junior Prima Award (2010) Istvánffy Benedek Prize (Chuang Tzu's Dream, 2010) Best theatre music – Theater Critics Award (Magyar ünnep, 2011) Istvánffy Benedek Prize (A tavasz ébredése, 2013) Junior Classical Composer of the Year Artisjus Prize (2015) Ferenc Erkel Prize (2016) Béla Bartók–Ditta Pásztory Prize (2019) Petőfi Music Award for Song of the Year (Mostantól, 2020)

Competition prizes 1st prize – Weiner Leó Composition Competition, Budapest (2002) 1st prize – 6th International Composition Competition (Farbotony), Kaniv, Ukraine (2003) 3rd prize – National Improvisation Competition, Budapest (2003) Special Prize – National Composition Competition, Budapest (2004) Special Prize – Vántus István Composer Competition, Association of Hungarian Composes and Vántus István Foundation, Szeged (2006) 3rd prize – National Composition Competition, Budapest (2006) Shared 1st prize – Liszt Academy Composer Competition, Budapest (2007) Special Prize – Youth Contemporary Music Evenings, Budapest (2007) Special Prize – 9th Zdarzenia Theatre and Art Festival, Tczew (2007) Special Prize – Youth Contemporary Music Evenings, Budapest (2008) Special Prize – Wekerle centenarian, Wekerle Cultural Association, Budapest (2008) Special Prize – Youth Contemporary Music Evenings, Budapest (2009) 1st prize – Liszt Academy Composer Competition, Budapest (2009) 1st prize in Chamber Music – NHMF Composer Competition, Budapest (Chuang Tzu's Dream, 2009) 3rd prize, Musical Competition of Madách Theatre, Budapest (Macskadémon/The Demon Cat, 2010) Shared 3rd prize – Liszt Academy Composer Competition, Budapest (2010) 1st prize – Generace Composer Competition, Ostrava (2013) 1st prize in Chamber Music – NHMF Composer Competition, Budapest (Trance, 2013) 1st prize – Generace Composer Competition, Ostrava (2015)