Gábor Szabó
violin
Born in Budapest, Gabor Szabo started his violin studies at the age of seven. He is the winner of numerous national and international violin competitions including First Prize at the Budapest National Violin Competition, First Prize at the Zathureczky National Violin Competition, First Prize International Chamber Music Competition in the string trio category (USA). He won 2nd Prize and the Special Prize for the best Paganini Caprice at the Carl Flesch International Violin Competition (Hungary) and 3rd Prize at the Hubay National Violin Competition.
Since 1993 Szabo has been a permanent soloist and recording artist of the Hungarian National Radio and has made more than 70 live recordings. His recitals are regularly broadcast by European television companies. Mr.Szabo obtained his Soloist diploma from the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music where he was studying with László Kóte and Ester Perényi. In the United States he studied with Dr. Eduard Schmieder at Souther Methodist University in Dallas, TX.
Gabor Szabo has performed as soloist with many renowned orchestras such as the Hungarian State Opera Orchestra, the Budapest Symphony Orchestra, the Dohnanyi Symphony Orchestra,Camerata Budapest Chamber Orchestra, the Hungarian Virtuosi Chamber Orchestra, THE London&Viena Chamber Orchestra, Orquesta Sinfónica de Santa Cecilia, the Meadows Symphony Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra of Galicia,Orquesta Clásica Santa Cecilia, European Royal Ensemble,among others, with such a conductors as Andras Ligeti, Janos Kovacs, Eduard Schmieder, Dmitri Loos, Gabor Hollerung, Adam Medveczky, Valeria Csanyi, Tamas Benedek and Zsolt Hamar, among others. In 1996 he performed by special invitation for Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. Gabor Szabo is known for his wide-ranging repertoire, extending from Vivaldi to contemporary composers. As a recitalist Gabor Szabo has performed in more than twenty European countries, as well as the United States and South America.
Szabo held the position of Concertmaster in the Budapest Symphony Orchestra (MAV) and soon after he was appointed Concertmaster of the Camerata Budapest Chamber Orchestra. In 1998-99 he held that position in the Opera Teatro Municipal in Sao Paulo, Brazil and he was principal violinist in the Orquesta Sinfónica de Galicia in La Coruna, Spain. Mr. Szabo was appointed concertmaster of the Orquesta Reino de Aragon the resident orchestra of the Auditorio of Zaragoza in Spain.
Gabor Szabo is a member of the Royal Opera House of Madrid (Teatro Real) and holds a concertmaster position with the the Orquesta Reino de Aragon. He is also the founder, concertmaster and Artistic Director of the Madrid Soloists Chamber Orchestra.
Szabo frequently cooperates with orchestras as concertmaster in many European countries. As a leader he has worked with many renowned conductors such as Jean Jacques Kantorow, Vasily Petrenko, Rumon Gamba, Adam Medveczky, John Nelson, Andras Ligeti, VictorPablo Perez, Carlo Rizzi, Jesus Lopez Cobos, George Pehlivanian, Dmitry Loos and Jakub Hrusa, Kynan Johns, among others.
His engagements as a soloist lead him to perform in concert halls in Spain, Italy, Hungary and the USA.
Since 2008 Gabor Szabo resides in Madrid, Spain.