Szabolcs Szörényi, Key Figure in the History of Hungarian Rock Music, Passes Away

Szabolcs Szörényi, Kossuth Prize-winning composer and music director, former bass guitarist of the Illés Ensemble and later the Fonográf, passed away on Saturday at the age of 81, his family informed MTI.

Szabolcs Szörényi was born on September 26, 1943 in Budapest. Together with his brother Levente, his parents enrolled him in September 1956 at the State Boys’ Educational Institute in Szob (northern Hungary), where he joined the institute’s mandolin orchestra. Szabolcs Szörényi played in the mandolin orchestra of the educational institute, later played guitar, and then switched to bass guitar and stayed with this instrument.

In January 1965 Levente took him to the Illés Ensemble, a Hungarian rock/beat band, which had been in existence for several years.

During the course of the year the classic line-up was formed, with Lajos Illés playing keyboards alongside the two Szörényi brothers, János Bródy on guitar and Zoltán Pásztory on drums.

In 1966, their song Még fáj minden csók (“Every kiss still hurts”) won a shared second prize at the 1st Táncdalfesztivál, and at the 1968 festival they won almost every prize, including the grand prize, with their folk music-rooted composition Amikor én még kissrác voltam (“When I was a little boy”).

The Illés Ensemble in the final of the 1968 Táncdalfesztivál. In front Szabolcs Szörényi, Levente Szörényi, János Bródy, behind them Lajos Illés and Zoltán Pásztory. Photo: Fortepan / Zoltán Szalay

The Illés Ensemble gained incredible popularity in the second half of the 60s and early 70s, rivaled only by Omega and Metro.

Most of the music for their songs was composed by Levente Szörényi and Lajos Illés, while the often metaphorical, politically sensitive lyrics by János Bródy expressed the feelings of a youth rebelling against the behavior patterns of the previous generation.

In 1974 Szabolcs Szörényi joined the Fonográf with his brother and János Bródy, a multi-faceted, sophisticated music ensemble with polyphonic vocals that worked for a decade. In 1984, the three sold-out farewell concerts virtually marked Szabolcs Szörényi’s retirement from the stage. After that, he was present at Illés’ 1990, 1996 and 2001 concerts, as well as at the final farewell concert in 2005.

The Fonográf band. In front Szabolcs Szörényi and Levente Szörényi, behind them Mihály Móricz, Oszkár Németh, László Tolcsvay and János Bródy. Photo: Fortepan / Tamás Urbán

As a music director, he has worked on numerous stage productions and recordings, including the original soundtrack to the rock opera István, a király (“Stephen the King”), which turned 40 this year and sold two million copies.

Szabolcs Szörényi was awarded the Kossuth Prize in 2000, shared with the members of the former Illés Ensemble. The Kossuth Prize, named after Hungarian politician and revolutionist Lajos Kossuth, is the highest Hungarian state award for the cultivation and preservation of Hungarian culture. In 2012 he received the Budapest Prize, and in 2018 he was awarded the title of Honorary Citizen of the 13th district of the capital. In 2019, together with his brother Levente, he was awarded the Höfner Guitar Prize for Lifetime Achievement at the Fourth National Beatles Meeting in Budapest.

Iconic Era of Hungarian Rock Music Comes to Life in a Unique Comic Book