Bence Hartl was born in Budapest. At the age of seven he started to learn violin and as a teenager he changed to classical guitar. After high school he studied philosophy and aesthetics at Eötvös Loránd University - Faculty of Humanities. He wrote his Bachelor-degree thesis about Bertrand Russell's denotation-theory. He studied as a guitarist at Szeged University and later at Vienna Konservatorium. He got degrees as an instrumentalist, teacher and conductor. Over the years his most important teachers were: Gábor Brezovcsik (guitar), Andrea Bozóki (guitar), Ede Roth (guitar), Iván Madarász (music theory and composition).
He was a guitarist in several chamber music formations. As a founder and leader of S.W.A.T. Guitar Ensemble (HU) he staged contemporary and rare guitar quartets and played many concerts with his team at renowned concert locations. He played together with other instrumentalists as well and took part in contemporary and mixed media performances. Currently he plays in the Clarinet-Guitar Project, in the Cluster Project and occasionally with other formations.
Bence Hartl is active as a composer and as an arranger as well. He writes mostly solo and chamber music for different instruments. His pieces were performed in the USA, Hungary, Germany, Austria, Greece, Ukraine and Russia by such performers as the soloist of New Music Studio Moscow, virtuoso violinists (Édua Zádory, Gabriella Márffy, Epameinondas Tzivenis) and guitarist (Dora Cserenyec, Marcell Nickmann, Fabio Adour), Tamas Palfalvi (trumpet), the Somogyi String Quartet, Rupert Bergmann (baritone), S.W.A.T. Guitar Ensemble and many others. In 2019 he got the 2nd Prize at the Fifth Edison Denisov Young Composer’s International Competiton, in 2020 he was a finalist at the 1st Chalki International Composition Competition and in 2021 he won the 1st prize at the International Composition Competition of the Miami GuitART Festival.
Alongside his activities he teaches classical guitar, chamber music and music theory. Since 2018 he lives, works and creates in Germany.
Important concerts
2023. 2oth Century Guitar Music, Alte Synagoge, Stavenhagen 2023. 20th Century Guitar Music, Haus des Gastes, Röbel 2023. Cluster Project, Evangelic Church, Balatonakali 2023. Guitarcosmos, Bravia Hall, Budapest 2022. Vata v ukho, Fuga, Budapest 2020. Clarinet-Guitar Project, Old Synagoge, Stavenhagen 2019. Clarinet-Guitar Project, Hl. Kreuz, Waren (Müritz) 2019. Cluster Project, Óbudai Társaskör, Budapest 2018. Kammermusikkonzert, EngelscherHof, Röbel 2018. S.W.A.T. Guitar Ensemble, Ervin Szabó Library, Budapest 2018. Telemann+, Fuga, Budapest 2017. Gitargala, Bartók Memorial House, Budapest 2017. S.W.A.T. Guitar Ensemble, Fészek, Budapest 2016. Gesualdo+, Fuga, Budapest 2016. Four Centuries on Thirty Strings, Uránia Theater, Budapest 2015. S.W.A.T. Guitar Ensemble, 8th Terra Siculorum International Guitar Festival, Odorheiu 2015. S.W.A.T. Guitar Ensemble & Igor Dedusenko, SZTE ZMK, Szeged 2015. S.W.A.T. Guitar Ensemble & Tritonus Trio, Nádor Hall, Budapest 2014. Young Guitarist Composers' Concert, SZTE ZMK, Szeged 2013. X. Arcus Temporum Festival, Pannonhalma 2013. Bence Hartl & Friends, MüPa, Budapest