Sebők György
piano
Place of Birth
Szeged
Date of Birth
1922
2 November 1922, Szeged - 14 November 1999, Bloomington (USA)
Renowned pianist, legendary teacher of the Indiana University in Bloomington, one of the greatest masters of his generation. His style can be characterized by perfect knowledge of style, an extraordinary repertoire and unique, strong musical expression.
He started his music studies at the age of five with dr. János Baranyi. His first official performance took place 1929 in Szeged. On his first philharmonic concert in 1937 he performed Beethovens Piano concerto in C major, conducted by Ferenc Fricsay. One year later he was accepted to the piano department of the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where he became pupil of Arnold Székely and Imre Keéri-Szántó. Also at the Academy, he studied chamber music with Leó Weiner and composing with Zoltán Kodály. Meanwhile he took private lessons from Annie Fischer and Paul Weingarten.
During the college years he met János Starker, who became his constant chamber partner in the next years and also a lifelong best friend. He was giving concerts as soloist, but also with orchestras and chamber orchestras. In 1949, he became a professor of music at the Béla Bartók Conservatory in Budapest, one year later he won a prize at a contest organized in frames of the Youth Festival of the World in Berlin. In 1956 he travelled to Austria and then settled down in Paris. One of his initial recordings in Western Europe won the Grand Prix du Disc of 1957. From 1962 he lived in the USA and taught at the Indiana University in Bloomington.
He gave concerts and master courses in a number of countries in the world and he recorded more than 40 albums. As a guest teacher he taught at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin, the Banff Centre for Arts in Canada, the Amsterdam Conservatorium and at the Hochschule für Music in Stuttgart. He became a lifelong honorary member of the Toho Gakuen University for Music in Tokio. In 1974 he founded the legendary Musikdorf in Ernen, Switzerland, where he held master courses every summer until 1999. In the same town he founded the Festival der Zukunft in 1987. In 1997 he had a concert in Szeged on account of his 75th birthday anniversary and also held many master courses there.
His activity was honored with the Liszt Prize in 1950, the Cross of Merit of the Hungarian Republic in 1993, the Cultural Prize of the Swiss canton Wallis in 1995 and the title Chevalier de LOrdre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Secretary of Culture in 1996. He became Freeman of Ernen, Switzerland.
Renowned pianist, legendary teacher of the Indiana University in Bloomington, one of the greatest masters of his generation. His style can be characterized by perfect knowledge of style, an extraordinary repertoire and unique, strong musical expression.
He started his music studies at the age of five with dr. János Baranyi. His first official performance took place 1929 in Szeged. On his first philharmonic concert in 1937 he performed Beethovens Piano concerto in C major, conducted by Ferenc Fricsay. One year later he was accepted to the piano department of the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where he became pupil of Arnold Székely and Imre Keéri-Szántó. Also at the Academy, he studied chamber music with Leó Weiner and composing with Zoltán Kodály. Meanwhile he took private lessons from Annie Fischer and Paul Weingarten.
During the college years he met János Starker, who became his constant chamber partner in the next years and also a lifelong best friend. He was giving concerts as soloist, but also with orchestras and chamber orchestras. In 1949, he became a professor of music at the Béla Bartók Conservatory in Budapest, one year later he won a prize at a contest organized in frames of the Youth Festival of the World in Berlin. In 1956 he travelled to Austria and then settled down in Paris. One of his initial recordings in Western Europe won the Grand Prix du Disc of 1957. From 1962 he lived in the USA and taught at the Indiana University in Bloomington.
He gave concerts and master courses in a number of countries in the world and he recorded more than 40 albums. As a guest teacher he taught at the Hochschule der Künste in Berlin, the Banff Centre for Arts in Canada, the Amsterdam Conservatorium and at the Hochschule für Music in Stuttgart. He became a lifelong honorary member of the Toho Gakuen University for Music in Tokio. In 1974 he founded the legendary Musikdorf in Ernen, Switzerland, where he held master courses every summer until 1999. In the same town he founded the Festival der Zukunft in 1987. In 1997 he had a concert in Szeged on account of his 75th birthday anniversary and also held many master courses there.
His activity was honored with the Liszt Prize in 1950, the Cross of Merit of the Hungarian Republic in 1993, the Cultural Prize of the Swiss canton Wallis in 1995 and the title Chevalier de LOrdre des Arts et des Lettres from the French Secretary of Culture in 1996. He became Freeman of Ernen, Switzerland.
| Year | Title | Publisher | Code | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | Weiner Leó album | BMC Records | BMC CD 018 | |
| 2001 |
50 éves a Hungaroton - Zongoraművészek (1951-2001)
(Fifty Years of Hungaroton - Pianists) |
Hungaroton | HCD 32088-90 | 3 CDs |