Kentaur
Kentaur (set designer)
EDUCATION AND WORK
He studied painting at the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts and took a master class at the Faculty of Mural painting. Since the end of the 80’s his paintings regularly appear on solo and group exhibitions. As a multimedia artist, Kentaur is interested in different fields of art. As one of his ancestors was a famous composer Ferenc Erkel (1810–1893), who established the National Opera in Hungary, he has studied classical music for 9 years. Parallel to his fine art studies, he became the solo singer and songwriter of a new wave music group and later – as a solo singer – he recorded several rock albums in 1989 (New World), 1996 (Someone from the Lost City) and 2005 (Urban Stigma).
He started his theatre career as a graphic designer, later becoming a set and costume designer. Since 1990 he has worked for all major Hungarian theatres creating sets for drama, opera, ballet and musical productions.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
He has won numerous awards, foremost among them the Jászai Prize in 2007, one the most important Hungarian national awards, and the Artist of Merit Award from the Hungarian state in 2013 in honour of his contribution to the theatre arts.
A SELECTION OF STAGE WORKS
William Shakespeare:
“Macbeth” (Vígtheater, 1995 / set design)
“Hamlet” (NitraTheater, Slovakia, 2001 / set design)
“As You Like It” (Bratislava, National Theatre 1996 / set design)
Operas:
Puccini’s “Madama Butterfly” (Szeged National Opera, 1994; Hungarian State Opera, 1994; Japan Tour, 2000 / set design)
Puccini’s “Gianni Schicchi” (Hungarian State Opera, 1997 / set design)
Puccini’s “Turandot” (National Theatre of Győr, 2006 / set and costumes design)
Gounod’s “Faust” (Hungarian State Opera, 1996; Szeged National Opera, 2002 / set and costumes design)
Gounod’s “Romeo and Juliet” (Hungarian State Opera, 2001 / set design; National Theatre of Pécs, 2013 / set and costumes design)
Verdi’s “Attila” (Margaret Island Open Air Theatre, Csokonai Theatre, Debrecen 2004 / set design; Margaret Island Open Air Theatre, 2022 / set and costumes design)
Verdi’s “Aida” (Bergen Open Air Theatre, 2005 / set and costumes design)
Verdi’s “Un ballo in maschera” (National Theatre Szeged, 2010 / set and costumes design)
Verdi’s “La traviata” (National Theatre Szeged, 2010 / set design)
Verdi’s “Rigoletto” (National Theatre Szeged, 2013 / set and costumes design)
Rossini’s “La Cenerentola” (National Opera Prague, 2016 / set design)
Bartók’s “Bluebeard’s Castle” (Csokonai Theater, Debrecen 2005 / set design)
Berlioz’s “The Damnation of Faust” (National Theatre Szeged, 2009 / set and costumes design)
Gyöngyösii’s “Master and Margerita” (Margaret Island Open Air Theatre, 2022 / set and costumes design)
Musicals and operettas:
Bernstein’s “West Side Story” (Vígtheater, 1992; National Theatre Szeged, 2012 / set design)
Loewe’s “My Fair Lady” (Jokai Theatre, 1993 / set design)
Boublil/Schönberg’s “Miss Saigon” (Open Air Theatre of Szeged, Budapest Operetta Theatre, 1994; Ostre Gaswerk Theatre, 1996; Göta Lejon Theatre, 1998; Philippines National Theatre, 2000; National Theatre Győr, 2004; Budapest Operetta Theatre, 2011 / set design; Musical Comedy Theatre Saint Petersburg, 2020 / costumes design)
Styne’s “Some Like It Hot” (Budapest Operetta Theatre, 1995 / set design)
Webber’s “The Phantom of the Opera” (Madách Theatre Budapest 2003 / set design)
Bart’s “Oliver” (Petőfi Theatre, 2012 / set design)
Larson’s “Rent” (Haymarket Theatre Leicester & Tour UK 2001; Prince of Wales Theatre, 2002; National Theatre Győr, 2010 / set design)
Charlap/Styne’s “Peter Pan” (Haymarket Theater, 2001; Csokonai Theatre Debrecen, 2002; MÜPA Budapest, 2007; Vörösmarty Theatre Székesfehérvár, 2010 / set and costumes design)
Kander/Ebb’s “Cabaret” (Budapest Operetta Theatre, 2002 / set design)
Simon/Coleman/Fields’ “Sweet Charity” (Budapest Operetta Theatre, 2003 / set design)
Webber’s “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat” (Csokonai Theatre, 2004 / set and costumes design)
Elton/Webber/Bródy’s “The Beautiful Game” (Madách Theatre Budapest, 2005 / set design)
Kander/Ebb/Fosse’s “Chicago” (National Theatre Győr, 2007 / set and costumes design)
Kálmán’s “Countess Maritza” (Szeged Open Air Theatre, 2007 / set design)
Steinman/Kunze’s “Dance of the Vampires” (Magyar Theatre, 2007; Ronacher Theatre Vienna, 2009; Musical van Vlaaderen, 2010; Comedy Theatre Saint Petersburg, 2011 / set and costume design)
Boublil/Schönberg’s “Les Miserables” (Katona József Theatre Kecskemét, 2010; Open Air Theatre Margaret Island, 2011; Szeged Open Air Theatre, 2015; Madach Theatre Budapest, 2016 / set design)
Arlen/Harburg’s “The Wizard of Oz” (Vígtheater, 2016 / set design)
Lindsay-Abaire/Tesori’s “Shrek” (Budapest Arena, 2016 / set design)
Elton/Queen’s “We Will Rock You” (BOK Arena, 2017; Pesti Magyar Theatre, 2018; UK Tour 2019–20; German Tour, 2021–22; London Coliseum, 2023 / set and costumes design)
Ballets:
Kocsák/Harangozó’s “Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs” (Hungarian State Opera, 2004; Estonian National Opera, 2008; Rostov National Opera, 2013; West Australian Ballet Centre, 2014; Szeged Open Air Theatre, 2015; Astana National Opera, 2021 / set design)
Delibes’s “Coppélia” (Wiener Staatsoper, 2006 / set design)
Tchaikovsky’s “The Nutcracker” (Thália Theatre Budapest, 2006 / set and costumes design)
Lázár/Sárközi’s “Bug’s Tail” (Thália Theatre Budapest, 2006 / set and costumes design)
Juronics’ “The Sleeping Beauty” (Contemporary Ballet Szeged, 2009 / set and costumes design)