Kesselyák Gergely
conductor
Place of Birth
Budapest
Date of Birth
1971
Gergely Kesselyák was born in Budapest on 2 April 1971. In 1982 he started to learn playing the cello and later on the contrabass. His third instrument was the piano. These were followed by studies in singing and musical theory. He worked in seven orchestras as the leader of the cello section. Between 1984 and 1989 he studied at the Piarist Secondary School in Budapest. From 1986 to1992 he was the leader of the church choir and orchestra of the Piarist order. Between 1990 and 1995 he continued his studies at the Faculty of Conductors in the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music under the guidance of Ervin Lukács, and took his degree. He took part in two master courses led by Yuri Simonov. He won the third prize of the 8th International Television Conductor Competition and the National Philharmonics awarded him the Special prize.
He founded the Opera Section of the Miskolc National Theatre and has been its musical director since 1997, and has also been the founder-musical director of the „Bartók+” International Opera Festival since 2001. He became the conductor of two Hungarian theatres and conducted more than 100 performances every year. The Hungarian State Opera in Budapest and several other Hungarian theatres had invited him as a guest conductor, so he had directed concerts from the most varied repertoire, including operas, operettas and musicals. He had been the conductor of the Hungarian State Concert Orchestra and leader of the Hungarian Radio’s Youth Orchestra. He had been also the founder and the conductor of the Music Camp of the Trans-Carpathian town, Munkács.
In 2004, he was appointed to be the artistic director of the BudaFest Opera and Ballet Festival and has been the artistic director of the Szeged Open-Air Festival since 2005. He has conducted sixty productions in eight theatres since 1993. He has been active as a stage director too since 1999; he has staged Verdi's Rigoletto, Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore and Bartók's Duke Bluebeard's Castle in Miskolc, and the the Don Giovanni production of the Opera House in Budapest.
Since 1988 he has been known as a composer as well.
Awards:
2000 László Pless Award
2003 Juventus Award
2005 Ferenc Liszt Award
He founded the Opera Section of the Miskolc National Theatre and has been its musical director since 1997, and has also been the founder-musical director of the „Bartók+” International Opera Festival since 2001. He became the conductor of two Hungarian theatres and conducted more than 100 performances every year. The Hungarian State Opera in Budapest and several other Hungarian theatres had invited him as a guest conductor, so he had directed concerts from the most varied repertoire, including operas, operettas and musicals. He had been the conductor of the Hungarian State Concert Orchestra and leader of the Hungarian Radio’s Youth Orchestra. He had been also the founder and the conductor of the Music Camp of the Trans-Carpathian town, Munkács.
In 2004, he was appointed to be the artistic director of the BudaFest Opera and Ballet Festival and has been the artistic director of the Szeged Open-Air Festival since 2005. He has conducted sixty productions in eight theatres since 1993. He has been active as a stage director too since 1999; he has staged Verdi's Rigoletto, Donizetti's L'elisir d'amore and Bartók's Duke Bluebeard's Castle in Miskolc, and the the Don Giovanni production of the Opera House in Budapest.
Since 1988 he has been known as a composer as well.
Awards:
2000 László Pless Award
2003 Juventus Award
2005 Ferenc Liszt Award