Péter Szabó is the principal cellist of the world-famous Budapest Festival Orchestra. He studied at the Music Academy in Cluj, then at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest as a student of László Mez?, Ferenc Rados and György Kurtág.
Péter Szabó is a prize – winner in several competitions including the National Competition in Romania and the “International Competition Markneukirchen” in Germany. Péter Szabó was awarded with a “Special Prize” from the “International Association of Musicologists” (IMS) in Geneva in 1994. He was awarded the Hungarian Classical Award of the Gramophone Magazine for the “Best Hungarian Classical Music Performer of the Year“. As a member of the World Orchestra for Peace – founded by Sir George Solti, he was awarded the UNESCO Artist for Peace title by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
In 2011 Péter Szabó has been awarded the Franz Liszt Prize, one of the most prestigious prizes for artistic accomplishments given by the Hungarian State. He was also awarded with the Lajtha Prize for his outstanding interpretation of László Lajtha’s compositions. As a soloist and member of chamber music ensembles he has given concerts in Europe, Latin America , Far East and United States.
His many CD recordings, which also contain new discoveries and world premieres, are on labels such as BBC records, Channel Classics, Electrecord, Hungaroton and Naxos (including works by Beethoven, Brahms, Chopin, Dohnányi, Dvo?ak, Goldmark, Haydn, Koessler, Lajtha, Liszt, Moór, Pleyel, Rózsa, Rossini, Seiber, Szabó, Terényi, Vanhal).
He has finished the edition of the Pleyel Cello Concertos for Simrock (Boosey & Hawkes) Edition Company. He has discovered the manuscripts of these outstanding Cello Concertos and composed the cadences, made the piano reductions. As a professor Péter Szabó has given masterclasses all over the world: at the European Mozart Foundation founded by Sándor Végh , at the iClassical Academy, at the University of Sao Paulo, The Juilliard School, etc. He is currently also a lecturer at Leó Weiner Conservatory of Music. Péter Szabó is the artistic director – together with Michael Gieler– of The Bach Bridges Festival at the Budapest Music Center which is a collaboration between musicians of the Budapest Festival Orchestra and their colleagues of the Royal Concertgebouworkest Amsterdam .
