Zsolt József Szabó

Studies: 1977-81. Béla Bartók Secondary School of Music

1981-84. Ferenc Liszt Conservatory Pedagogical Faculty

1985-88. Ferenc Liszt Conservatory Faculty of Bassoon

Playing the contrabassoon became a passion for me from an early age. When I was at the conservatory, I played the contrabassoon in the orchestra of the Stephan I Gymnasium for many years. From 1982-97 I was the first bassoonist in the BM Duna Symphony Orchestra, but I also played the contrabassoon back then an important role in my life. When the Hungarian National Philharmonic's predecessor, the renowned Hungarian State Orchestra, advertised an audition for a position as contrabassoonist, I had no doubt that it was for me. I have held several master classes for contrabassoon, including in 2011 at Bard College in the USA and in 2013 at the Conservatory in Gyor (Raab, Hungary).

For a long time I have had the wish to have my own contrabassoon and in 2019 my dream came true. I found out that Miklós Thomas had launched a new instrument called THORE. Already at the first meeting it was clear to me that I wanted to own this contrabassoon.

Both the woodworking and the painting are evidence of high-quality work. The mechanics are uncomplicated with few transmissions/connections, which enables extremely fast modulation. Thanks to the short key paths, a pleasant playing experience is offered. Contrary to the reputation of a contrabassoon, this instrument is not at all clumsy and awkward. Its tone is noble and soft. The dynamic levels forte and piano can be played just as beautifully with a radiant, focused sound. I would particularly like to point out the balanced intonation and the beautiful tone in the upper register. In this register, a contrabassoon usually sounds dull. But not THORE, it also "sings" in the upper register. The instrument has the finest tonal nuances, allowing it to evoke a wide range of feelings and characters when played.

I recommend every colleague and future musician to try and buy the instrument. The price-value ratio is also decisive when buying, because you get a high-quality instrument at a fantastically low price.