title: Antal Pusztai
text: # Antal Pusztai
  
  Antal (Tony) Pusztai (born 7 May 1978) is a classical guitarist who is known as both a jazz musician and a classical guitarist.
  
  He was born in Györ, Hungary on 7 May 1978. When he was seven, his father started to teach him how to play the guitar. Later on, he studied under the tutelage of Professor Ede Roth at the Györ conservatorium. From 2005 to 2009, he was taught by Professor Alvaro Pierri at the University of Music and the Performing Arts in Vienna.
  
  Between 1998 and 2014 he was awarded fifteen first prizes in guitar competitions both in Europe and in the USA. Some of his awards include the Herbert von Karajan Music Competition in Vienna, the Montreux Jazz Guitar Competition in 2004, the European Guitar Award in Dresden in 2006, and the Lee Ritenour Six String Theory in Los Angeles in 2014. He was performing with many well-known soloists and orchestras, including Erwin Schrott, Dalibor Karvay, Ralph Towner, Rosenberg Trio, Al di Meola, Pat Metheny, Lee Ritenour, and the Jánoska Ensemble.
  
  His first solo album was recorded in Hungary in 2000 and the second in 2007 by the Wildner Records. In 2015 he was a featuring artist on the album ‘Twist of Rit ’with Lee Ritenour, which was nominated for a Grammy. Since 2017 he is the guitarist of Fortissimo Music Band *web
  
  In September 2021, Pusztai established a quintet bearing his name with his fellow bandmates from the Fortissimo Music Band *web
  
  ## Discography
  
  * Beyond My Dreams (2000)
  * Wonderland (Wildner, 2007) - Production Studio: Kleine Audiowelt mp3-track
  
  ## Intentational Guitar Competitions, Awards
  
  * 1998: International Guitar Competition in Kutna Hora, Czech Republic: 1st place
  * 1999: Yamaha International Guitar Competition, Vienna – Austria: 1st place
  * 2000: ‘Attila Zoller’ International Guitar Competition, Budapest – Hungary: 1st place
  * 2001: Radio Music Awards – Hungary
  * 2002: Baross Gábor Award – Hungary
  * 2003: Herbert von Karajan Scholarship – Austria
  * 2004: Montreux Jazz Guitar Competition – Switzerland: 1st place
  * 2005: International Guitar Competition, Weikersheim – Germany: 1st place
  * 2006: European Guitar Competition, Dresden – Germany: 1st place
  * 2014: Lee Ritenour's Six String Theory - Grand Price Winner
  
  ## Interviews
  
  * Interview by Kádi Péter (in Hungarian)
  * Interview (14 July 2004) by magazine "Hangszer és Zene" (in Hungarian)
  