 |
Péter Tóth Tonight’s program at Old First Concerts marks the American debut of the sensational Hungarian pianist Péter Tóth. Born in 1983, in the small city of Békéscsaba, Péter began his musical studies only at the age of 11 – quite late for a virtuoso and because his family had no piano. After two years at the Béla Bártok Music School in Békéscsaba, he was awarded a scholarship to the famed Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where he studied with Gyorgy Nádor and Balázs Réti. Tóth first attracted public attention when he won International Piano Competitions in Wittenberg (1997) and Bovino (1998), after less than four years of piano study. In 1998 he also received the Liszt Academy’s “Sari Biro Memorial Award” as the best young pianist of the year. His international career escalated after winning the prestigious Franz Liszt International Piano Competitions in Weimar (2000) and in Budapest (2001). Tóth’s concert tours to date have taken him to France, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Japan, Korea, and to such noted halls as the Tchaikovsky Conservatory in Moscow and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam. In 2005, he made a resoundingly successful debut in Munich with a solo recital in the series “Piano concerts in the Royal Residence.” The Suddeutsche Zeitung wrote of that performance, “It is enormous what this young Hungarian pianist is capable of…a clever plausible musician with all the potential to grow and to mingle with the very best.” In his native Hungary, Tóth has appeared as soloist with the Hungarian Virtuoso Chamber Orchestra, the MATAV Symphony Orchestra, and the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra. Most recently, Tóth’s CD for Stockfisch Records, Late Piano Works of Liszt, won the coveted International Grand Prix du Disque Award (2006) from the Franz Liszt Society. Today, Péter Tóth is one of the most important Hungarian artists to appear in concert halls worldwide. He has performed with distinguished conductors, and is building an international reputation as a serious, sensitive, and profoundly musical artist. His upcoming European concerts include a tour of Germany, with concerts in Bremen, Kaiserslautern, and a return to Munich. O1C Performances: Péter Tóth |
