Competition for Young Conductors 2017: The Results

Competition for Young Conductors in Remembrance of Rezső Lantos was held 26 March 2017. The purpose of the yearly organized competition is to give young university and college students an opportunity to demonstrate their talent in front of an impartial and professional jury. Participation is opened to those with an active student status, or youths who finished their studies in 2015 or 2016.

Members of the Jury

Ferenc Sapszon Kossuth and Franz Liszt Prize recipient, founder and artistic director of the Kodály Zoltán Hungarian Choir School, member of the MMA

Chairman of the Jury

Ágnes Gerenday conductor of the Lantos Choir of Budapest, head of the KÓTA Art Committee

Zsófia Cseri conductor of the Erkel Ferenc Choir, associate professor

Jos Vranken church music performer, choral conductor, festival director (Netherlands)

Levente Gyöngyös composer, Erkel and Bartók-Pásztory Prize recipient

Choirs: Vörösmarty Girls’ Choir (conductor: Bálint Gyombolai) - Semi-finals New Franz Liszt Chamber Choir (conductor: László Norbert Nemes) - Finals

Repertoire of the Competition

Semi-finals 

I. From scores: Vajda János: Psyché

II. Compulsory: György Ligeti: In foreign land (Idegenföldön) (Movements I., II. and IV.)

Péter Tóth: Curse song (Átok dal)

Zoltán Kodály: Lengyel László

Finals

I. Early music: William Byrd: Haec dies (6 vv)

II. From scores: Max Bruch: Palmsonntagmorgen

III. Compulsory: Kodály Zoltán: Transylvanian Lament (Székely keserves)

Kodály Zoltán-Virág Benedek: Wish for peace – 1801 (Békesség-óhajtás – 1801. esztendő)

Kodály Zoltán-Weöres Sándor: Norwegian Girls (Norvég leányok) 

The Final Results of the Competition

1st Prize (from the Rezső Lantos Foundation): Nora Zeigure, Latvia (Liszt Academy, BA 3rd year student of Choral and Orchestral Conducting)

2nd Prize (scholarship of the Liszt Academy Foundation): Tamás Sógor (ELTE BTK, BA 3rd year student of Music and Mathematics)

3rd Prize (from the Foundation for the Kodály Institute of Kecskemét): Martin Rajna (Liszt Academy, BA 2rd year student of Choral and Orchestral Conducting)

Special Award of the Pál Kardos Foundation (participation fee of the competition): Tamás Sógor (ELTE BTK, BA 3rd year student of Music and Mathematics)

Special Award of the Hungarian Choirs, Orchestras, and Folk Ensembles (KÓTA): Donát Tóth (University of Debrecen, MA 1st year student of Choral Conducting)

Special Award of the Hungarian Kodály Society: Martin Rajna (Liszt Academy, BA 2rd year student of Choral and Orchestral Conducting)

People's Choice Award (prize of the Lantos Foundation): Nora Zeigure, Latvia (Liszt Academy, BA 3rd year student of Choral and Orchestral Conducting)