Born in a small Hungarian town near the Austrian border, Attila Molnar was the only child of musician parents. At six years of age, after experimenting with various instruments, he discovered keyboards and this fortuitous choice propelled him first into a prestigious jazz piano program which was sponsored by the National Conservatory of Jazz and then later into a career as a professional musician. In 1997, Attila and his wife relocated to the USA where, in 2005, he produced, co-wrote, and recorded the CD ‘I Got Your Back’ for Toni Hutchinson. Also in 2005, Attila formed a powerful liaison with rising sax star Jaared. He remained an integral part of Jaared’s touring line-up and has also enjoyed a spell as keyboard player for Slim Man. Attila also shared the stage with the likes of U-Nam, Tim Bowman, Randy Scott, and Marion Meadows. Subsequently, in 2008, Molnar auditioned for the internationally acclaimed smooth jazz group Bona Fide and in so doing became the band’s keyboard player.
His debut solo recording, ‘Dreams’, was released in 2009. Attila invited Jaared (sax), Nicki Gonzales (vocals), Lalo Carrillo (bass), Victor Loyo (drums), Bennett Scher (guitar), Nagyi Molni (acoustic guitar) and Don Pipu (percussion) to record on this project. Except for one cover song, Attila wrote, composed and arranged all the songs.
Sometimes soulful, often funky, but invariably jazzy, his music has been compared to the likes of Shakatak and Joe Sample, while Trish Hennessey of WHFC 91.1 recently described him as possessing “an elegant exuberance with an echo of the past and a glimpse into the future”. Elsewhere, smooth jazz journalist of the year nominee Denis Poole commented that Molnar is “an accomplished writer and producer whose distinctive style of smooth jazz is replete with intoxicating rhythms and gorgeous melodies.”
Attila decided to put his experience to work as a Musical Director. First at Grace Meridian Hill Church in Washington, DC from 2010 to 2020, then at Mosaic Community Church from 2022 till present.
Not only is Attila an incredible composer and keyboardist, but he is also a very accomplished sound engineer and producer. In 2013, he opened the doors to his own recording studio called Attimusic Studio, where he wears many hats, such as producer, songwriter, keyboardist and audio/mastering engineer. He is also the Music Recording Technician at Montgomery College in Rockville, MD.