Dunkel, Nepomuk Norbert; music composer, philosopher

Nepomuk Norbert Dunkel (1962) has been a famous teacher of philosophy, theory of music, music therapy, solfeggio and piano at Eszterházy Károly Teacher’s Training College (Eger) and at the Uni-versity of Debrecen. Besides his teaching work he is well known as a music composer and a musician giving concerts throughout the world.

Professional experiences:

Eszterházy Károly Teacher’s Training College (Eger, assigned senior lec-turer); University of Debrecen (lecturer)

Research areas:

Music composing, music therapy, gothic and baroque music, philosophy, graphol-ogy, psychology, psychiatry, biology, quantum physics

Intellectual profile:

Norbert Nepomuk Dunkel is a descendant of Johann Nepomuk Dunkel, friend and disciple of the well known Hungarian music composer, Franz Liszt. His father was a conductor of an orchestra, so Dunkel as a little child admired the orchestra’s rehearsals. As newspapers (McGill Daily, Montréal, Hungarian Words, Toronto etc.) say Dunkel is a „renaissance man”, because he has multi-faceted features. He is a music composer, well educated and creative organ and harpsichord player, and an excellent improvisa-tor. Moreover he is a music-therapist, philosopher and graphologist. He takes much interest in quantum physics, biology, ancient music (from gothic and baroque ages), philosophy, music therapy, literature, psychology and psychiatry. He had become a famous teacher at Eszterházy Károly Teacher’s Training College (Eger) and at the University of Debrecen. He had a well-known black dog: Malacz, who was an indispensable part of his lectures and musical performances. Malacz dog was not merely an animal but a symbol of compassion, defence of tender and vulnerable beings and love of nature, and moreover the responsibility associated with love, because responsibility is worthless without love. In his book ti-tled “Malacz dog who becometh human” study, through Malacz he presents humanity as the cyclically attacking virus, the “weakness of creation”. In addition to his teaching work he is well known as a mu-sic composer and a musician giving concerts throughout the world. If he happens to leave his notes at home, he can improvise an organ symphony even on phone numbers. In Montréal, for example, he played with his left hand on the harpsichord, with his right on the first manual of the organ, and in-serted a choral motif in the texture of the phrases. On his university lectures, he usually recites, sings, and puts a good many questions to the audience. In his works he often speaks about the relationship be-tween music and the structure of the Universe. Dunkel as a teacher adores this profession, the work of the emissary, the “ācārya”, the protective person who lives together with his followers helping them by giving life guidance, mental and professional advice. He does not believe in authority, he always ac-cepts all his students. While being an exceptionally educated music teacher, he is trying to teach learn-ing, thinking independently and loving. In his opinion, most of the music concerts and scientific lec-tures are not fresh, smell cadaverously, stale and based on past principles and authorities. Metaphori-cally speaking, he is a “necromancer”: he is trying to raise the true nature and the creative powers of the individuals, to raise it from the depths of the human soul—as a teacher and as a music therapist.

Major publications:

Lélek – Világ – Zene (Soul—World—Music, 1997); Lélekharang és fülbevaló – Könyv a zeneterápiáról (Knell and Earrings—a Book on Music Therapy, 2004), Mi a zene – ha nem egy túróslepény? (What is Music—If not a cheesecake? 2005), Malacz kutya, aki emberré vált (Ma-lacz dog who becometh human, special anthropological study, 2005). In many of his works he speaks about the relationship between music and the structure of the Universe

Other activities:

Dunkel is not only a scientist or a researcher, besides his teaching work he is well known as a music composer and a performer. He had concerts in many places (e.g. Vienna, Morocco, Montréal, Paris, Bratislava, Toronto, Zagreb etc.).

e-mail: nepomukdunkel@hotmail.com