Photo: Dániel Vásárhelyi
Date, place of birth: 1960, Veszprém
University position: associate professor
Studies:
1978–1983: Violin Department, Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music
He started learning the violin with István Káté in Veszprém, and having achieved successes at the Koncz János National Violin Competition he continued his studies firstly with Margit Lányi, then at the Liszt Academy under Semyon Snitkovsky – David Oistrakh’s assistant. He studied chamber music under György Kurtág and Sándor Devich, and orchestral performance under Albert Simon.
He took his degree with a performance of Bartók’s Violin Concerto No. 2, and a few years later he continued his studies on a scholarship at NTSU (USA) under Robert Davidovici. He has taken part in several master classes including those given by Sándor Végh, István Ruha, Vladimir Spivakov and Volodar Bronin.
Recordings:
Mendelssohn’s early concertos (Hungaroton), Vivaldi: The Four Seasons (BritChoral), English String Music (BritChoral), ‘Mendelssohn and more…’ (Lauderdale, USA), CinePhony (DVD, oliveart), ‘Roots and branches’ (DVD, blu-ray, oliveart)
Orchestra membership:
2013–2014: Concerto Budapest, concertmaster (from 2012)
2001-2005: English Concert Chamber Orchestra (London), guest concertmaster
from 1985: Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra (Veszprém), artistic director, soloist, conductor
1981-1983: member of ensembles of the New Music Studio (Budapest)
1981-1983: member of the Academy Chamber Orchestra (Budapest), conductor: Albert Simon
Teaching activities, posts as guest professor, principal master classes:
He as been teaching at the Liszt Academy, since 2014 at the Chamber Music Department and besides since 2016 orchestra and since 2019 violin main subject.
Since 1983 he has been a violin teacher at the Dohnányi Ernő Secondary School of Music in Veszprém where he was born. Between 2001-2013 he was director of the institution. He is a member of the jury of national violin and orchestral competitions organized for students of music schools, secondary schools of music and institutions of higher education in Hungary. Since 2005 he has directed the work of Auer Youth Symphony Orchestra established by him and comprising current and former students of the secondary school. He also headed the Keszthely Summer Orchestra Camp of Music School Students. In 2001 he founded the Veszprém Secondary School Oratorio Choir, of which he remains director.
For several years he was a member of the teaching staff of the Central European Initiative Youth Orchestra. He has led master classes in Brighton, London and Buenos Aires.
Other activities:
In the frame of his extensive artistic activities, in 2010 he completed a music documentary TV film on a biography of Lipót Auer, world-famous musician and composer born in Veszprém. He was the scriptwriter and editor of the documentary and he performed works by the composer.
2003–2007: orchestra extension training courses in Ghana, commissioned by the British Council.
2007: foundation of the Auer Lipót Youth Symphony Orchestra in Veszprém, of which he is the leader.
Principal concerts:
He has appeared as soloist and chamber musician in virtually every country in Europe, the United States of America, several Central and South American countries (Guatemala, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Aruba, Uruguay, Argentina), as well as in Morocco and Ghana.
As soloist he has appeared in many of the top concert halls of the world including the Milan Verdi Hall, the Buenos Aires Teatro Colon and Barcelona L'Auditori. His concert recordings have been broadcast by the Hungarian Radio and Television, France 3, Slovene National TV and numerous American radio and TV stations.
He was the soloist partner of Tamás Vásáry, Miklós Perényi, Ilona Tokody, István Ruha amongst others.
Since 1985, as artistic director of the Bartók–Pásztory Prize awarded Mendelssohn Chamber Orchestra, he has worked together with the foremost domestic and foreign artists – soloists, conductors and ensembles.
Prizes, awards:
2008: Gold Order of the Cross of the Republic of Hungary (for teaching activities)
2010: Bartók–Pásztory Prize
Contact:
kovats.peter[at]academy.liszt.hu