A voice that pervades theatre, songs and jazz
DL is an award-winning composer, jazz saxophonist, and performing artist whose work bridges the world of musical theatre and the soul of jazz. With a signature style that weaves storytelling, improvisation, and emotional depth, DL has captivated audiences across stages, concert halls, and airwaves.
From original musicals to genre-defying performances, DL’s work celebrates complexity, beauty, and human connection. His collaborations have spanned continents, and his compositions continue to inspire new generations of artists and listeners alike.
Musicals with Soul, Story, and Substance
Laszlo Des’s original musicals are crafted for theatres that dare to challenge, move, and inspire their audiences. Each show features richly layered scores, emotionally resonant stories, and characters that live beyond the stage.
Featured Shows:
The Paul Street Boys
- Full score available
- Staged reading package
- Licencing available
Somewhere in Europe
The Jungle Book
We’ll Never Die
Interested in licencing or exploring a show?
More on Des
Born in 1954 in Budapest, Laszlo Des has been a prominent artist of the Hungarian jazz scene since 1974. As a saxophone player, he has won several awards at jazz festivals. Laszlo Des, born in 1954 in Budapest, has been a prominent figure in the Hungarian jazz scene since 1974. As a saxophone player, he has won several awards at jazz festivals, including those in San Sebastián and Karlovy Vary. In 1974, he founded his first band, Dimenzió. The band performed extensively, playing numerous shows throughout Europe and Hungary, and released three albums over nine years, including shows in San Sebastian and Karlovy Vary. He founded his first band, Dimenzió, in 1974. The band played a staggering number of shows, both in Europe and Hungary and released three records in nine years.
His primary instrument is the soprano saxophone, renowned for its distinctive, soft, and colourful tone, as well as his emotionally charged improvisational style. He is one of the few jazz artists highly appreciated by audiences, critics, and fellow musicians alike. Recently, his jazz group, the Free Sounads, has been focusing on free jazz. Their unique speciality is that the music is created live on stage, right in front of the audience.
In 1987, Dés founded the Trio Stendhal with Ferenc Snétberger and Kornél Horváth. The trio had a unique approach to chamber music, which quickly gained popularity across Europe and beyond, with tours reaching as far as India.
Dés has established himself as an exceptional composer in the pop music scene. With a keen sense of style, he incorporates elements of jazz and sophisticated musical forms into his songwriting. In addition to composing for bands like Jazz+Az, he has also written music for several Hungarian films, including “A miniszter félrelép” (The Minister’s Affair), “Szamba” (Samba), and “Sose halunk meg” (We’ll Never Die).
Des has composed successful musicals such as ‘Valahol Európában’ – Somewhere in Europe, ‘A dzsungel könyve’ – The Jungle Book, and ‘A Pál utcai fiúk’ – The Paul Street Boys.
Laszlo Des has become a multifaceted artist. While still composing musicals, songs, even a ballet, he has also remained an instrumentalist, performing jazz and contemporary music.
In 2003, Dés chose TomTom Records to release his solo album ‘Metszetek’ (Segments). The album is a soundtrack to the movie ‘Egy hét Pesten és Budán’ (A Long Weekend In Pest and Buda) by Károly Makk. The band Dés assembled for this occasion features Elemér Balázs on drums, András Dés on percussions, Péter Glaser on double bass, József Balázs on piano, Gábor Juhász on guitars, Kornél Fekete Kovács on trumpet. The tour that followed the album was a great success throughout the country.
In 2005, Dés and his septet released their second album called ‘Utcazene’ (Street Music). The music touches a lot to various genres, ranging from floorshow music to dance music, but also featuring jazz ballads. Soon after the CD a DVD followed, featuring live shows of the band at the Madách Theatre and at the Örömkoncert festival, where the Grammy winner Randy Becker joined the band on trombone.
In 2009, Tom-Tom Records started a fascinating anthology series to celebrate Dés’s best works. Fans can get their hands on updated editions of Jazz+Az’s albums, Dés’ musicals-, film scores, jazz music, and two best-of compilations called ‘Dés1 – ennyi a dal’ and ‘Dés2 – évek óta már’.