Sir Georg Solti

Sir Georg Solti was one of 20th century’s most brilliant conductors and a leading figure of musical culture. As an exclusive Decca artist for over half a century, he left a vast legacy of over 250 great recordings – including 45 complete operas – chiefly with the Vienna Philharmonic, the London Philharmonic, and the Chicago and London Symphony Orchestras. He won many international honours for his recordings, including 32 Grammy awards – more than any other classical or popular recording artist. He made perhaps the most famous single recording of all time: the first complete studio recording of the entire Ring cycle with the Vienna Philharmonic that took seven years to finish. Born in 1912, Solti studied piano, composition and conducting with Bartók, Dohnányi, Kodály and Leo Weiner at Budapest’s Liszt Academy. Although he made his concert debut as a pianist, he was soon engaged as a conductor by the Budapest Opera. In 1946, he was invited by the American military government to conduct a performance of Beethoven’s Fidelio in Munich, the success of which led to his appointment as Music Director of the Bavarian State Opera, whose quality and reputation he firmly re-established over the next six years. During his tenure in Munich, the Salzburg Festival was revived, and Solti appeared there, as well as in Vienna, Berlin, Paris, Rome, Florence, and Buenos Aires. In 1952, Solti accepted the post of artistic and music director at the Frankfurt Opera. His remarkable partnership with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra began in 1954, when he first led the Orchestra at the Ravinia Festival, before returning to Chicago for guest engagements with the Lyric Opera and making his Chicago Orchestra Hall debut in 1965. His first concerts as their Music Director were in 1969, holding the position for 22 years, greatly extending and enhancing the orchestra’s worldwide reputation. In the UK, he was principal conductor and artistic director of the London Philharmonic Orchestra and served as Music Director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, achieving international fame for his performances of Strauss's Die Frau ohne Schatten, the British premiere of Moses und Aron and Wagner's Ring; For his outstanding contribution to music, he received a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II and in his honour, the Académie du Disque Lyrique in Paris established the “Solti Prize”, to be awarded annually to an outstanding young singer. The first recipient of this prestigious award was American soprano Renée Fleming. Solti passed away in 1997 and a plaque now adorns the Budapest house where he grew up. The conductor’s ashes were interred in Budapest next to Bartok’s grave.