Michael Szatmáry

Michael Szatmary was born on November 4, 1974 in Bratislava, Slovakia. A political science graduate, he spent years working as a television journalist and foreign correspondent before discovering stand-up comedy. Along the way he also co-founded the band Heaven Street Seven, which signed to BMG Ariola in 1997 and released radio hits "Get Me" and "Like a Rain". It is a background that makes him genuinely unusual on the Slovak comedy circuit - part journalist, part musician, part comedian.

Since 2016 Szatmary has performed with Silne Reci (Strong Speeches), founded in 2009 by Jan Gordulic and recognized as the largest and most influential Slovak stand-up collective. His comedy draws on his Jewish heritage, political experience, and the ironies of modern Slovak life. His debut solo special "Profesionalny Zid" (The Professional Jew, 2019) completed more than 14 sold-out tour dates across Slovakia and Czech Republic and is available on silnereci.sk. In 2024 he reunited with fellow Silne Reci comedian Tomas Hudak for the joint special "Konecne Spolu" (Finally Together), which toured both countries. Beyond stand-up, Szatmary continues to work as an event moderator, hosting major ceremonies including the Nations Memory Award (2021-2023) and multiple editions of Fenix - Cultural Memory of the Year.

Michael Szatmary performs regularly in Slovakia and Czech Republic with Silne Reci and on solo dates.