Orchestra
The MAV Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1945 by the Hungarian State Railways. Shortly after the Second World War, it established its name carrying a series of great concerts to the destroyed towns all over the country. As time passed, the orchestra developed a wide-ranging repertoire from baroque to contemporary music, and is currently ranked among the best professional ensembles in Hungary.
MÁV Symphony Orchestra - A journey in music
Today, the MÁV Symphony Orchestra is considered one of the leading professional orchestras in Hungary. It was founded during the final days of World War II in 1945 by László Varga, the president and chief executive officer of the Hungarian State Railway (MÁV) at the time. Its repertoire ranges from baroque music to modern, contemporary works. The orchestra’s concerts are attended by more than 50,000 people annually, but reach many more through regular radio and television broadcasts, as well as online broadcasts.
The records of the orchestra are available all around the world, released by the most renowned record production companies (HUNGAROTON, NAXOS, SONY, TOCCATA CLASSICS). The 2013 record won the award of the most prestigious musical magazine of the United States, the American Record Guide.
During its more than seven decades of activity, the MÁV Symphony Orchestra has worked with countless world stars at national and international concerts, including Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, José Carreras, Kiri Te Kanawa, Helen Donath, Roberto Alagna, Ruggiero Ricci, Dudu Fischer, Lazar Bermann, Endre Gertler, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, David Geringas, János Starker, György Cziffra, Dezső Ránki, Jenő Jandó, Erika Miklósa, Andrea Rost, Tamás Vásáry, Zoltán Kocsis, Miklós Perényi, Kristóf Baráti, Gergely Bogányi, Andrea Bocelli, Alexander Markov, Péter Frankl, Menahem Pressler, Imai Nobuko, Maxim Vengerov, Kirill Troussov, Pinchas Zukerman... and the list goes on.
Numerous internationally celebrated conductors have conducted the MÁV Symphony Orchestra. Among others, Kurt Masur, János Ferencsik, Zoltán Kodály, Miklós Rózsa, Lamberto Gardelli, Franco Ferrara, Uri Mayer, Roberto Benzi, Angelo Ephrikian, Franz Konwitschy, Ottmar Suitner, Arvid Jansons, Vladimír Válek, Hans Swarowsky, Carlo Zecchi, Herbert Blomstedt, Moshe Atzmon, Yuri Simonov, Irwin Hoffman, James Levine, János Fürst, Jesús López Coboz, Charles Dutoit, Leonard Slatkin and Jorma Panula.
Many of the acclaimed guest artists have held masterclasses organized by the MÁV Symphony Orchestra, including Menahem Pressler, Alexander Markov, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Lajos Lencsés, András Adorján, Kirill Troussov, Gábor Takács-Nagy and Jorma Panula, with students attending from all over the world.
Jorma Panula's masterclass will be held for the 8th time this year in Budapest.
The orchestra's remarkable musical professionalism has been recognised during its numerous guest appearances abroad. It has performed in the most prominent concert halls in almost every country in Europe, and has also enjoyed successes in Brazil, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, Egypt and Colombia, as well as in Lebanon, Japan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Oman. The orchestra is a returning guest at the prestigious Musikverein concert hall in Vienna.
The orchestra has been cultivating a close friendship with Kobayashi Ken-Ichiro for nearly 50 years. The Japanese conductor was the first to win the International Conducting Competition of the Hungarian Television, held in the spring of 1974. The MÁV Symphony Orchestra was the first orchestra Kobayashi conducted outside his home country, and with that he launched his international career. As a token of mutual appreciation, he has been welcomed on the podium as honorary guest conductor since the 2014-15 season.
Róbert Farkas has been the Principal Conductor of the MÁV Symphony Orchestra since 2021.
Today, the MÁV Symphony Orchestra is considered one of the leading professional orchestras in Hungary. It was founded during the final days of World War II in 1945 by László Varga, the president and chief executive officer of the Hungarian State Railway (MÁV) at the time. Its repertoire ranges from baroque music to modern, contemporary works. The orchestra’s concerts are attended by more than 50,000 people annually, but reach many more through regular radio and television broadcasts, as well as online broadcasts.
The records of the orchestra are available all around the world, released by the most renowned record production companies (HUNGAROTON, NAXOS, SONY, TOCCATA CLASSICS). The 2013 record won the award of the most prestigious musical magazine of the United States, the American Record Guide.
During its more than seven decades of activity, the MÁV Symphony Orchestra has worked with countless world stars at national and international concerts, including Luciano Pavarotti, Placido Domingo, José Carreras, Kiri Te Kanawa, Helen Donath, Roberto Alagna, Ruggiero Ricci, Dudu Fischer, Lazar Bermann, Endre Gertler, Tsuyoshi Tsutsumi, David Geringas, János Starker, György Cziffra, Dezső Ránki, Jenő Jandó, Erika Miklósa, Andrea Rost, Tamás Vásáry, Zoltán Kocsis, Miklós Perényi, Kristóf Baráti, Gergely Bogányi, Andrea Bocelli, Alexander Markov, Péter Frankl, Menahem Pressler, Imai Nobuko, Maxim Vengerov, Kirill Troussov, Pinchas Zukerman... and the list goes on.
Numerous internationally celebrated conductors have conducted the MÁV Symphony Orchestra. Among others, Kurt Masur, János Ferencsik, Zoltán Kodály, Miklós Rózsa, Lamberto Gardelli, Franco Ferrara, Uri Mayer, Roberto Benzi, Angelo Ephrikian, Franz Konwitschy, Ottmar Suitner, Arvid Jansons, Vladimír Válek, Hans Swarowsky, Carlo Zecchi, Herbert Blomstedt, Moshe Atzmon, Yuri Simonov, Irwin Hoffman, James Levine, János Fürst, Jesús López Coboz, Charles Dutoit, Leonard Slatkin and Jorma Panula.
Many of the acclaimed guest artists have held masterclasses organized by the MÁV Symphony Orchestra, including Menahem Pressler, Alexander Markov, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Lajos Lencsés, András Adorján, Kirill Troussov, Gábor Takács-Nagy and Jorma Panula, with students attending from all over the world.
Jorma Panula's masterclass will be held for the 8th time this year in Budapest.
The orchestra's remarkable musical professionalism has been recognised during its numerous guest appearances abroad. It has performed in the most prominent concert halls in almost every country in Europe, and has also enjoyed successes in Brazil, Peru, Chile, Argentina, Ecuador, Egypt and Colombia, as well as in Lebanon, Japan, China, Hong Kong, South Korea and Oman. The orchestra is a returning guest at the prestigious Musikverein concert hall in Vienna.
The orchestra has been cultivating a close friendship with Kobayashi Ken-Ichiro for nearly 50 years. The Japanese conductor was the first to win the International Conducting Competition of the Hungarian Television, held in the spring of 1974. The MÁV Symphony Orchestra was the first orchestra Kobayashi conducted outside his home country, and with that he launched his international career. As a token of mutual appreciation, he has been welcomed on the podium as honorary guest conductor since the 2014-15 season.
Róbert Farkas has been the Principal Conductor of the MÁV Symphony Orchestra since 2021.