Artist database

9 February 1930 Nagybecskerek [Zrenjanin], Yugoslavia [now Serbia] - 30 June 2011

Composer, one of the most well-known members of the post-war Hungarian composer generation. His wide-ranging oeuvre, being independent from style trends and composer groups, has been mainly inspired by folk music and city folklore.

He was born in a family of musicians; his grandfather on his mother’s side was conductor and organist of the Catholic church in Nagybecskerek. With his mother he moved to and settled down in Hungary after the outbreak of the Second World War. He studied at the composing department of the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music as pupil of Ferenc Farkas. He graduated in 1957 and his compositions for this occasion (Flute Concerto, Cantata No. 1.) are popular interpretation pieces up to now.

In 1955 he came in first place with his composition „Serbian folk songs” at the International Composers’ Competition in Warsaw. In 1959 he won the International Composers’ Competition in Liège with his String Quartet No. 1.

In the early ’50s he was conductor of the factory orchestra of the Szikra Press in Budapest and from 1960 to 1964 he was music director of the Petőfi Theater of the capital. From 1964 he had taught at the University of Theater and Film, and from 1968 at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, where in 1979 he became leader of the composing department.

His breakthrough as composer was the opera C’est la guerre (1961). After the premiére the work has been also presented in Nizza, Rostock, Obernhausen, the former Yugoslavia and in the Soviet Union. A similarly important work is the oratorio composed on the text of Jónás könyve (Book of Jonah) by Mihály Babits. Other scenic works are the concert-comic opera Lysistrate (1962), the opera Crime and Punishment (1967-1968) and the dance play Salome.

He composed choral works (these are primarily cantatas composed after the works of Hungarian writers and poets), orchestral works and concertos like Concerto per flauto ed orchestra (1957), Simfonia per archi (1964), Concertino for trumpet and orchestra (1990), Vörösmarty Overture (1993), Lament and meditative - two interludes for string orchestra (1997), Piano concerto (1999), Symphony for grand orchestra No. 2. (2002), Concerto grosso for string orchestra (2004), various compositions for ensemble, chamber orchestra and solo instruments like Cassazione for brass winds (1953), String quintet No. 1. (1959), Four self-portraits in disguise - for harpsichord (1958), Passacaglia in blues - for bassoon and piano (1964), Wind Quintet - for woodwinds (1964), Deux mouvements - for cimbalom (1974), Hungarian children’s songs - for flute and piano (1974), Rhapsody No. 1. - for solo violin (1982), Rhapsody No. 2. - for solo viola (1983), Rhapsody No. 2/a. - for solo cello (1990), String quartet No 2. (1991) and Passamezzo e saltarello - for solo violin and percussion ensemble (2003). These compositions are well-known and popular works at Hungarian and international music competitions. Moreover, he also composed incidental music to about 30 films.

His monograph on Maurice Ravel was released in 1959, while the two volumes of his biography „Self portrait - without a disguise” were released in 2007-2008. Petrovics played a pre-eminent role in the public life of Hungarian art: he was director general of the Hungarian State Opera House (1986-1990 and 2003-2005) and Member of Parliament (1967-1985).

From 1967 to 1999 he worked as president of Artisjus (Hungarian organization for author’s rights) as well. He became member of the Széchenyi Academy for Letters and Arts (1993) and the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts (1991).

In recognition of his work he was awarded with the Erkel Prize (1960 and 1963), the title Merited Artist (1982), the Bartók-Pásztory Award (1989 and 2000), the Kossuth Prize (1966 and 2006) and the Middle Cross of the Order of Merit with the Star from the Hungarian Republic (2005).