Clarinet, Tárogató
Pannon Portrait
A versatile representative of Hungarian Roma music, soloist of the Rajkó Orchestra and founding member of Swing à la Django. As both performer and teacher, he passes his decades of artistic experience on to the next generation.
Career
Seres Vilmos is a versatile musician of the Hungarian Roma music tradition with decades of experience on stage. He began his career in 1985 with the legendary Rajkó Orchestra, where he has performed as a soloist for decades.
At the heart of his artistry lies the Hungarian musical tradition, enriched by influences from Balkan music and a wide range of world-music styles. His principal instruments are the clarinet and tárogató, while he also plays saxophone and accordion. His instrumental mastery and broad repertoire have taken him to prestigious stages in Hungary and abroad, including New York’s Carnegie Hall.
As a founding member of Swing à la Django, he actively contributes to the dialogue between Hungarian musical traditions and contemporary musical expression. Alongside his performing career, he is committed to nurturing the next generation and teaches clarinet at the Rajkó Secondary School of Arts.
For Seres Vilmos, musical heritage is not merely something to preserve, but knowledge to be passed on. This tradition continues within his own family: his son, Seres Vilmos Jr., has already embarked on his own musical journey as a clarinettist and tárogató player, while directly inheriting the knowledge of a musical culture passed down through generations.
With the Pannon Orchestra
A member of the Pannon Cigányzenekar since 2010, Seres Vilmos is one of the ensemble’s prominent musicians, contributing his distinctive clarinet and tárogató playing, instrumental versatility and decades of stage experience.
Awards and Honours
2025 – Hungarian Silver Cross of Merit, Civil Division
Something Few People Know About Me
Although best known as a clarinet and tárogató artist, he also plays saxophone and accordion. He passes on the musical tradition not only as a teacher: his son, Seres Vilmos Jr., also learned the foundations of tárogató playing from him.