Béla Kovács (1937-2021) began his musical studies in 1946 at the music school in Tatabánya, Hungary, which was founded by his father. He studied first on the piano, and then clarinet from 1949 onwards with the artist of the Opera House, Ernő Dohnányi’s favorite clarinetist, Imre Dobos. Between 1951 and 1957 he continued his studies at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest as a student of György Balassa. As a college student, he won fourth prize at the Warsaw VIT Competition in 1954 and third at the Moscow VIT Competition in 1957. From 1956 to 1981 he was a solo clarinetist of the Hungarian State Opera House Orchestra and the Budapest Philharmonic Society Orchestra. Between 1962 and 1972 he was a member of the Hungarian Wind Quintet; in 1962 this group was awarded second prize at the Geneva Music Competition, first prize at the Budapest Music Competition, and in 1964 the Liszt Prize.

Between 1975 and 2020, Kovács was a clarinet teacher at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, an assistant professor (1978), an associate professor (1979), and professor emeritus (2009). In 2004 he was a visiting professor at the Conservatorio di Musica in Udine. Since 1989 he has been a clarinet professor and professor emeritus at the Universitat für Music in Graz. He was a guest clarinet teacher at the Vienna Conservatory and at the Egressy Béni Art High School Budapest. As a soloist, chamber and orchestra musician, he performed in many places in Hungary and abroad; he performed several pieces by contemporary Hungarian composers, inspiring many of them to compose clarinet works. Many of his CD and broadcast recordings became famous. Among his virtues as a performer, his almost perfect technique, his superior style and his receptivity to musical humor have always been highlighted. His work in the literature was also significant; he published several clarinet textbooks.