Among his many recordings are several rarely played concertos for instruments such as horn and double bass, including works of the 20th century.

[2][3] He studied violin, conducting and composing in Stuttgart (1948–52), and musicology and German literature at the University of Tübingen (1952–58).

[4] He studied conducting further, with Paul van Kempen (1954–55), Ferdinand Leitner (opera) and Sergiu Celibidache (1960–62).

[3][5] Mága was chief conductor of the Göttinger Symphonie Orchester (1963–67) and of the Nürnberger Symphoniker (1968–70).

[4] He then became Generalmusikdirektor (GMD) of the Bochumer Symphoniker and professor at the Folkwang-Hochschule in Essen, where he taught to 1982.