Magyar Rádió Szimfonikus Zenekara (Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra)
Orchestra, choir, ensemble
The Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra was founded by the institution in 1943, at the initiative of Ernő Dohnányi.
LPs, CDs, radio recordings of a whole range of symphonic and oratorical works, and numerous performances on the national and international circuit are the achievements that place this orchestra among the leading full orchestras of the world.
Among well-known critics of the world, a consensus has been formed about the balanced and flexible sound of the orchestra, about its steady artistic development, and about its laudable efforts to promote, popularise and record contemporary, especially twentieth century, Hungarian music.
The Orchestra has a permanent and celebrated presence on the national concert scene, but it is also a welcome and highly appreciated guest in the great concert halls of the world. As a musical envoy of our country, it has enhanced the reputation of Hungarian music in 45 countries on 4 continents. In December 2001, it gave several concerts in France under the aegis of ´´Magy-art´´ (´´Hung-art´´), a series of events presenting a sample of the cultural achievements of our country. Besides its radio appearances, the Orchestra is a regular guest - both as populariser of music and as participant in concerts - on TV programmes at home and abroad. It also makes regular appearances at finals and gala concerts of international music competitions, such as the József Szigeti Violin Competition, the Liszt-Bartók Piano Competition, and the Conductors´ Competition of Hungarian Television. Most major radio stations of the world broadcast its recordings and concerts.
The leading conductors of the Orchestra have included Lajos Rajter, Ernő Dohnányi (1943), János Ferencsik, Tibor Polgár (1945), László Somogyi (1951), György Lehel (1956), András Ligeti (1989), Tamás Vásáry (1993), Ádám Fischer (2005), Gergely Vajda (2011), János Kovács (2014).
During its existence of more than fifty years, eminent conductors and hundreds of excellent soloists contributed to the concerts, tours and recordings of the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. They worked with such internationally renowned guest conductors as Claudio Abbado, John Barbirolli, Mario di Bonaventura, Paul Capolongo, Aldo Ceccato, György Cziffra Jr., Dean Dixon, Antal Doráti, Péter Eötvös, Heinz Fricke, Lamberto Gardelli, Wolfgang Gönnenwein, Aram Hachaturian, Günther Herbig, Hiroyuki Ivaki, István Kertész, Otto Klemperer, Kobayashi Kenichiro, Peter Maag, Igor Markevitch, Lovro von Matacic, Neville Marriner, Charles Münch, Karl Österreicher, Giuseppe Patané, Karl Richter, Mario Rossi, Gennadi Rozhdiestvenski, Paul Sacher, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, Peter Schreier, György Solti, Leopold Stokowski, Walter Süsskind, Günter Theuring and Carlo Zecchi.
In 1988 the orchestra was awarded with Béla Bartók-Ditta Pásztory Prize. In 2024 they were given the Orchestra of the Year Prize of the Bartók Radio.
LPs, CDs, radio recordings of a whole range of symphonic and oratorical works, and numerous performances on the national and international circuit are the achievements that place this orchestra among the leading full orchestras of the world.
Among well-known critics of the world, a consensus has been formed about the balanced and flexible sound of the orchestra, about its steady artistic development, and about its laudable efforts to promote, popularise and record contemporary, especially twentieth century, Hungarian music.
The Orchestra has a permanent and celebrated presence on the national concert scene, but it is also a welcome and highly appreciated guest in the great concert halls of the world. As a musical envoy of our country, it has enhanced the reputation of Hungarian music in 45 countries on 4 continents. In December 2001, it gave several concerts in France under the aegis of ´´Magy-art´´ (´´Hung-art´´), a series of events presenting a sample of the cultural achievements of our country. Besides its radio appearances, the Orchestra is a regular guest - both as populariser of music and as participant in concerts - on TV programmes at home and abroad. It also makes regular appearances at finals and gala concerts of international music competitions, such as the József Szigeti Violin Competition, the Liszt-Bartók Piano Competition, and the Conductors´ Competition of Hungarian Television. Most major radio stations of the world broadcast its recordings and concerts.
The leading conductors of the Orchestra have included Lajos Rajter, Ernő Dohnányi (1943), János Ferencsik, Tibor Polgár (1945), László Somogyi (1951), György Lehel (1956), András Ligeti (1989), Tamás Vásáry (1993), Ádám Fischer (2005), Gergely Vajda (2011), János Kovács (2014).
During its existence of more than fifty years, eminent conductors and hundreds of excellent soloists contributed to the concerts, tours and recordings of the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. They worked with such internationally renowned guest conductors as Claudio Abbado, John Barbirolli, Mario di Bonaventura, Paul Capolongo, Aldo Ceccato, György Cziffra Jr., Dean Dixon, Antal Doráti, Péter Eötvös, Heinz Fricke, Lamberto Gardelli, Wolfgang Gönnenwein, Aram Hachaturian, Günther Herbig, Hiroyuki Ivaki, István Kertész, Otto Klemperer, Kobayashi Kenichiro, Peter Maag, Igor Markevitch, Lovro von Matacic, Neville Marriner, Charles Münch, Karl Österreicher, Giuseppe Patané, Karl Richter, Mario Rossi, Gennadi Rozhdiestvenski, Paul Sacher, Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt, Peter Schreier, György Solti, Leopold Stokowski, Walter Süsskind, Günter Theuring and Carlo Zecchi.
In 1988 the orchestra was awarded with Béla Bartók-Ditta Pásztory Prize. In 2024 they were given the Orchestra of the Year Prize of the Bartók Radio.