He is a graduate of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, where he studied under Kodaly, Bartok, and Dohnanyi, among others.
In 1954, he became permanent conductor of the Hungarian National Philharmonia Concert Organization. In May 1956, he was awarded a prize at the International Conductor’s Competition in Rome, and in the same year he left Budapest for Vienna, where he founded the famous Philharmonia Hungarica orchestra, composed of outstanding exiled musicians. With tireless effort, he built the Philharmonica Hungarica into one of the most outstanding concert orchestras in Europe.
In 1961, he became a United States resident, and in 1962, Assistant Conductor of the New York Philharmonic under Leonard Bernstein. In 1963, he was named Music Director of the Cleveland Philharmonic.
In 1967, he was selected over 130 candidates for the position of Music Director of the San Diego Symphony Orchestra and in four years raised the Orchestra to a high professional artistic level. In 1982 he built the Knoxville Symphony on the occasion of the World’s Fair, and in 1987 he built the International Orchestra of San Diego.
HOUSE OF HUNGARY is open Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm.
Come visit, you will have the opportunity to meet your fellow Hungarians and guests from around the world.
Want to be a host or hostess to serve coffee and homemade pastries?
Please pick a Saturday or Sunday and signup at
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0C44A9AE2DA1FFC43-sandiego