József Vajda – obituary

József Vajda was born in Zalaegerszeg on 26 August 1947. He pursued his studies in Pécs and Budapest under the tutelage of György Keszler and Imre Rudas, respectively. From 1970 for 25 years, he was principal bassoonist with the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. For more than 20 years, he was active teaching bassoon and chamber music at the Bartók Béla Conservatoire, and for several years, he was associate professor teaching chamber music at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. From 1975, he was also a member of the Wind Quintet of the Radio Orchestra, which became the first-prize winning ensemble at the Colmar International Chamber Music Competition in 1979. He released numerous records and CDs, while he also regularly collaborated with the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra and was a member of the Austro-Hungarian Haydn Orchestra.  His outstanding achievements were recognised with the Liszt-prize in 1981 and with the György Lehel-prize in 1999.

Not only the adult audience was enchanted by József Vajda’s music but also children, as his bassoon playing József Pécsi’s Dörmögő Dömötör in Farmer Istók’s Yard accompanied TV Teddy going to bed after the daily bedtime story on Hungarian Television.