Vashegyi György
conductor, organ, harpsichord
13 April 1970 Budapest
Conductor, outstanding professional and interpreter of early music, founder of Purcell Choir and Orfeo Orchestra, teacher of Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music.
He started his music studies as instrumental musician, learning to play the violin, flute, oboe (later baroque oboe) and harpsichord. At the age of sixteen he conducted his first concert. When he was eighteen he was accepted to the conducting department of the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, and with excellent classification he graduated as pupil of Ervin Lukács in 1993. He took part in the mastercourses of John Eliot Gardiner and Helmuth Rilling many times. Between 1994 and 1997 he was postgraduate disciple of John Toll at the Dresdner Akademie für Alte Musik. Beside his continuo studies, he learned chamber music here as well, under direction of Jaap ter Linden and Simon Standage.
Since 1992 hes been teaching continuo at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, and between 1995 and 1997 he taught baroque performing practice at the musicology department of the university. In 1990 he founded the Purcell Choir in Budapest, and one year later the Orfeo Orchestra, also in Budapest. Ever since these two ensembles have become one of the most significant workshops specialized on baroque and Viennese classic, not only in the region but in the whole country. Hungarian first performances and world premieres of numerous compositions from the 17th and 18th century are results of their activity.
They successfully toured in Austria (Toujours Mozart Festival, Vienna and Salzburg 2004, 2005), in Germany (Dresden, Festspiele, 1993), in France (Festival d'Art Sacré, Paris, 1995, Festival Périgord Noir, 2001), in Switzerland, in Belgium (Namur, EUROPALIA, 1999), in Luxembourg, in Israel (Rishon LeZion Spring Festival 2001), in Italy and in South-Africa. Since 1998 theyve been steady participants of the historical Haydn Festival held every September in Fertőd-Eszterháza. For the first time in Hungary, in frames of this festival they have presented a number of significant compositions by Joseph Haydn masses and other sacred works, symphonies and concertos on authentic instruments of the era.
In 1998 he released his first album and ever since he has recorded a lot of world premieres of the works by Kraus, Istvánffy, Charpentier, Tunder and Tartini. He mainly conducts his own orchestra, but regularly performs as guest conductor of other early music ensembles and symphonic orchestras as well. In September 1998 he conducted the first premiere of Mozarts Idomeneo in the Hungarian Opera of Kolozsvár, Romania. In May 1999 and 2000 he conducted the concert-like world premiere of Levente Gyöngyösis Gólyakalifa (Stork caliph) in Budapest with the MÁV Symphony Orchestra and the Symphonic Orchestra of the Hungarian Radio and Television.
In August 2000 he debuted with the Orfeo Orchestra in the Hungarian State Opera and as premiere production of the Opera Festival they performed Haydns Linfideltá delusa in the history of the Opera House, this was the first opera performance with authentic early music instruments. Invited by Zoltán Kocsis, he conducted the Hungarian National Philharmonic in March 2002. In 2005, György Vashegyi and his ensembles were requested to perform at the opening show of the Festival Theatre of the Palace of Arts, where they presented Monteverdis LOrfeo with a huge success.
In 2008 he received the Liszt Prize, in 2015 he was awarded the Cross of the Order of Hungarian Knights, and since 2017 he has been President of the Hungarian Academy of Arts. In 2024 he was awarded Kossuth Prize
Conductor, outstanding professional and interpreter of early music, founder of Purcell Choir and Orfeo Orchestra, teacher of Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music.
He started his music studies as instrumental musician, learning to play the violin, flute, oboe (later baroque oboe) and harpsichord. At the age of sixteen he conducted his first concert. When he was eighteen he was accepted to the conducting department of the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, and with excellent classification he graduated as pupil of Ervin Lukács in 1993. He took part in the mastercourses of John Eliot Gardiner and Helmuth Rilling many times. Between 1994 and 1997 he was postgraduate disciple of John Toll at the Dresdner Akademie für Alte Musik. Beside his continuo studies, he learned chamber music here as well, under direction of Jaap ter Linden and Simon Standage.
Since 1992 hes been teaching continuo at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, and between 1995 and 1997 he taught baroque performing practice at the musicology department of the university. In 1990 he founded the Purcell Choir in Budapest, and one year later the Orfeo Orchestra, also in Budapest. Ever since these two ensembles have become one of the most significant workshops specialized on baroque and Viennese classic, not only in the region but in the whole country. Hungarian first performances and world premieres of numerous compositions from the 17th and 18th century are results of their activity.
They successfully toured in Austria (Toujours Mozart Festival, Vienna and Salzburg 2004, 2005), in Germany (Dresden, Festspiele, 1993), in France (Festival d'Art Sacré, Paris, 1995, Festival Périgord Noir, 2001), in Switzerland, in Belgium (Namur, EUROPALIA, 1999), in Luxembourg, in Israel (Rishon LeZion Spring Festival 2001), in Italy and in South-Africa. Since 1998 theyve been steady participants of the historical Haydn Festival held every September in Fertőd-Eszterháza. For the first time in Hungary, in frames of this festival they have presented a number of significant compositions by Joseph Haydn masses and other sacred works, symphonies and concertos on authentic instruments of the era.
In 1998 he released his first album and ever since he has recorded a lot of world premieres of the works by Kraus, Istvánffy, Charpentier, Tunder and Tartini. He mainly conducts his own orchestra, but regularly performs as guest conductor of other early music ensembles and symphonic orchestras as well. In September 1998 he conducted the first premiere of Mozarts Idomeneo in the Hungarian Opera of Kolozsvár, Romania. In May 1999 and 2000 he conducted the concert-like world premiere of Levente Gyöngyösis Gólyakalifa (Stork caliph) in Budapest with the MÁV Symphony Orchestra and the Symphonic Orchestra of the Hungarian Radio and Television.
In August 2000 he debuted with the Orfeo Orchestra in the Hungarian State Opera and as premiere production of the Opera Festival they performed Haydns Linfideltá delusa in the history of the Opera House, this was the first opera performance with authentic early music instruments. Invited by Zoltán Kocsis, he conducted the Hungarian National Philharmonic in March 2002. In 2005, György Vashegyi and his ensembles were requested to perform at the opening show of the Festival Theatre of the Palace of Arts, where they presented Monteverdis LOrfeo with a huge success.
In 2008 he received the Liszt Prize, in 2015 he was awarded the Cross of the Order of Hungarian Knights, and since 2017 he has been President of the Hungarian Academy of Arts. In 2024 he was awarded Kossuth Prize