Music Argentum: Andreas Varady Trio

The child prodigy – now a young man – of Slovak jazz!

Andreas Varady is an internationally acclaimed jazz guitarist, composer and recording artist whose extraordinary musical journey began at the age of four. He was born into a Hungarian Roma family in Slovakia and later grew up in Ireland. He first came to prominence through years of busking with his family, before becoming one of the most acclaimed young guitarists in contemporary jazz.

At the age of 13, Varady became the youngest headliner in the history of the legendary London jazz venue, Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club. At the same time, he performed alongside artists such as Martin Taylor, Tommy Emmanuel and Louis Stewart. His rapidly growing reputation took him to the Montreux Jazz Festival, where he caught the eye of Quincy Jones, who later became his mentor and manager.

After signing a contract with Verve Records, headed by David Foster, Varady released his debut major-label album, *Andreas Varady*, in 2014. The album was produced by Quincy Jones, David Paich and Jay Oliver and featured top-class musicians including Gregory Porter, Roy Hargrove, Nathan East, Brian Bromberg, Harvey Mason, Steve Lukather and Dave Weckl. This album definitively established Varady as one of the most distinctive young talents in modern jazz and paved the way for international tours, concerts at the Blue Note clubs in New York and Tokyo, a performance at London’s O2 Arena, and a joint tour with George Benson across the United States and Europe.

Throughout his career, he has collaborated with a host of internationally acclaimed artists, including George Benson, Gregory Porter, Roy Hargrove, Mary J. Blige, Lee Ritenour, Biréli Lagrène, Dirty Loops, Soweto Kinch, Casey Benjamin and many others. His work combines virtuoso technique, profound musicality and a modern musical approach shaped by jazz, soul, funk, hip-hop and contemporary improvisation.

In 2018, he released the album *The Quest* on Resonance Records, for which he won the Esprit Award for Best Slovak Jazz Album of the Year. He has also been honoured with the Hungarian Harmónia Award and has earned international recognition through nominations for the MOBO Awards and performances at leading international jazz festivals and media platforms.

He recently released the album *Sunrise*, featuring renowned musicians Danny Grissett and Doug Weiss. For his growing contribution to contemporary jazz, he was awarded the prestigious Austrian *Ö1 Jazz Award*.

Alongside his international concert engagements, he is currently working on two new recording projects. The first is an album by a contemporary jazz quintet based on a new collection of original compositions that further develop his unique voice as a composer and improviser. At the same time, he is also preparing a very personal hip-hop and production project, on which he has been working for several years. This is an independently produced work created in his home studio, in which he takes on the roles of composer and producer whilst collaborating with talented young artists whom he has discovered himself and has long supported.

Andreas Varady continues to establish himself as an exceptionally versatile artist, whose work naturally bridges tradition and innovation and combines technical brilliance with a deeply distinctive musical identity.

Line-up:

• Andreas Varady – guitar

• Madeyo Jardim – drums

• Michael Acker – bass

The Music Argentum project was supported by public funds from the Arts Support Fund.