Stefan Varga began to play guitar at the age of 13. He studied classical guitar at the Music Academy of Wiesbaden (Thomas Flößner), then Jazzguitar at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz (Werner Neumann and Norbert Scholly). Workshops with Mike Stern, Larry Carlton, Hubert Käppel and Klaus König completed his musical education.
In his compositions, Stefan Varga spans a wide range between Bach and Jazz, Rock and Knitting Factory. Apart from being a film composer and music teacher, he mainly works with hungarian guitarist Tibor Eichinger as WEST AND EAST. From 2017 his main project is the STEFAN VARGA TRIO with Wolfgang Ritter (b) and Jens Biehl (dr).
Details:
1989 - 1994 Music Academy of Wiesbaden 'Certified music teacher', main subject guitar, subsidiary subject piano (Johannes Möller), written examination essay on the late works of
Miles Davis
1995 -1998 Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz 'Certified music teacher' (Diploma), main subject Jazz/Jazzrelated music
Workshops with Larry Carlton, Mike Stern, Peter Wölpl, Joe Viera, Hubert Käppel, Jürgen Terhag, Klaus König, Aniko Baberkoff-Montag, Hans-Ulrich Gallus and Thomas Albrecht, Elliott Sharp, Lilla Gábor
Professorships 1991 - 1997 Professorship for band and guitar at the music school of Hofheim/Taunus. Since 1997 Professorship for band and guitar at the Wiesbaden school of music and arts
Since 1997 composition of several film scores (ARTE, ZDF, Independents)
Musical work Solo concerts since 1995, Pacemakers (Jazztrio, 1995-96) Spellbound (Duet with Martin Pfeiffer, piano, 1997), McBrearty & Varga (Duet with Nada McBrearty, vocals, 1998-99); Theater Frankfurt 'Life of Galilei', 1997-99; Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden 'Rocky Horror Show' 1999-2000; Meadow Jam (Quartett) since2000; Tibor Eichinger & Stefan Varga (guitar duet) since 2003; Wiesbaden Big Band 2004-2007
International appearances at Festivals (Sziget-Festival Budapest 2003, Folklore im Garten Wiesbaden 2004 among other things) und Clubtours with several bands.
CD – productions 1995 Getaway – Somehow Different; 1997 Der Schatten des Waldes / Namibia – Rückkehr in ein neues Land (Soundtrack); 1999 Theistalbuben – Come Together; 1999 My Favourite Songs (Solo); 2001 Wild – Hartchor; 2001Neue Gartenkunst – Die grüne Welt des Fernando Caruncho (Filmscore ARTE /ZDF); 2003 Neue Gartenkunst – Die magischen Gärten des Ivan Hicks (Filmscore ARTE /ZDF); 2004 Tibor Eichinger & Stefan Varga – West And East; 2005 Meadow Jam – Live In Budapest; 2009 West And East - Balkan Ska; 2011 ZoZo - squared; 2014 Swing Guitars - Out of Nowhere; 2016 Tibor Eichinger & Stefan Varga – Brothers in Art
