Maka Gyula

Gyula Maka was born in Budapest in 1964 into a family of musicians. His love of music and the double bass is a family heritage: his father was also a double bassist.

An important chapter in his professional career was his membership of the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble from 1983 to 1999. In 1985, he became a founding member of the 100-Member Gypsy Orchestra, performing with the ensemble for almost four decades. Until 2023, he served as principal double bassist of the orchestra.

His artistic achievements have been recognised with several prestigious honours. In 2015, he received the Hungarian Silver Cross of Merit, and in 2020 he was presented with the Dankó Pista Lifetime Achievement Award together with the distinction “Soloist of the Year”.

Today, Gyula Maka is a double bassist with the Pannon Cigányzenekar, enriching the ensemble with decades of experience and an extensive background in large orchestral performance.

He is the father of three sons. His eldest son, Gyuszi, worked for more than ten years as ringmaster and master of ceremonies at the Capital Circus of Budapest and currently hosts a radio programme. Alex is a footballer currently playing in Austria, while his youngest son, Dávid, is preparing for the entrance examination to the Bartók Conservatory. The family’s connection with music, performance and the stage thus continues into the next generation.