Molnár András
voice - tenor
Place of Birth
Budapest
Date of Birth
1948
András Molnár was born in Budapest on December 8, 1948. As a child, from 1955 to 1960 he was fortunate to be a member of the finest children1s choir in the country, the Hungarian Radio Children's Choir. His musical career then stalled for a period. Between 1967 and 1977 he worked as a lathe operator, and only began studying singing seriously in 1976, when he became a private student of Margit Kaposy. He as so succesful in his studies that within a year, he could return to Hungarian Radio, this time as a tenor in the Radio's distinguished adult choir. His career has been an unbroken series of successes ever since. In 1979 he joined the Hungarian State Opera, and in 1980, he won first prize at the Toti Dal Monte singing competition in Treviso, Italy. In his very first year at the Opera House, he was cast in the title role of Ferenc Erkel's opera, László Hunyadi. There then followed the most varied series of roles imaginable. He was Tamino in the Magic Flute, Alvaro in the Force of Destiny, Ernani and Don José in Carmen. His first Wagner rol was Froh in the production of Das Rheingold in 1981, just before the Opera House underwent extensive restoration. Molnár's great breakthrough success was in the title role of Wagner's Parsifal. This opera had not been performed at the Budapest Opera House for many decades, but finally staged at the Erkel Theatre in 1983. This was the final opera production to be directed by the great János Ferencsik. The critics were extatic about theh production and the performance of András Molnár. Parsifal were followed by the roles of Don Carlos, Madame Butterfly's Pinkerton and Florestan from Fidelio. He also took part in the premieres of two Hungarian contemporary operas: playing Csongor in Attila Bozay's Csongor and Tünde in 1985, and the head role of the shepard Manolisz in Sándor Szokolay's Ecce homo in 1987.
András Molnár's artistic development was cemented by two new Wagner roles in the eighties: Walther von Stolzing in 1986, and Tristan in 1988. Then he sang Donello in Respighi's La Fiamma in 1989, and a debut in what was for him an unusal role: the charater figure of Tamburmajor in Berg's Wozzeck. The characterisation of the vain, womanising, brutal military conuctor was realised through interesting theatrival techniques. In 1990, András Molnár's repetoire of Wagner roles was augmented by Tannhauser, which he performed in a new production. In 1993, Molnár performed in two new role: Bánk bán and Radames. Same year a new production of the Ring was begun at the Opera House. In 1995 he enjoyed great succes of Siegmund, in a production of disputed merits. This was followed by the production of Siegfried in 1996, in which András Molnár brought to life the intrepid heroic figure with his voice and vocal technique.
András Molnár, besides his work in the opera house, reularly performs on the concert stage and in the oratorios. Abroad, he has been a guest in Berlin, Dresden, London, Zürich, Barcelona and the Bayreuth Festival. In 1984 he won the Liszt Award, in 1989 the Merited Artist Award, in 1993 the Erzsébet Prize, and in 1994 the Kossuth Prize.
Current performances of András Molnár
Koncertkalendárium (www.muzsikalendarium.hu)
András Molnár's artistic development was cemented by two new Wagner roles in the eighties: Walther von Stolzing in 1986, and Tristan in 1988. Then he sang Donello in Respighi's La Fiamma in 1989, and a debut in what was for him an unusal role: the charater figure of Tamburmajor in Berg's Wozzeck. The characterisation of the vain, womanising, brutal military conuctor was realised through interesting theatrival techniques. In 1990, András Molnár's repetoire of Wagner roles was augmented by Tannhauser, which he performed in a new production. In 1993, Molnár performed in two new role: Bánk bán and Radames. Same year a new production of the Ring was begun at the Opera House. In 1995 he enjoyed great succes of Siegmund, in a production of disputed merits. This was followed by the production of Siegfried in 1996, in which András Molnár brought to life the intrepid heroic figure with his voice and vocal technique.
András Molnár, besides his work in the opera house, reularly performs on the concert stage and in the oratorios. Abroad, he has been a guest in Berlin, Dresden, London, Zürich, Barcelona and the Bayreuth Festival. In 1984 he won the Liszt Award, in 1989 the Merited Artist Award, in 1993 the Erzsébet Prize, and in 1994 the Kossuth Prize.
Current performances of András Molnár
Koncertkalendárium (www.muzsikalendarium.hu)