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Tibor Varga (violinist)

Tibor Varga (4 July 1921 – 4 September 2003) was a Hungarian violinist, conductor, and world renowned music teacher who developed pedagogic methods for teaching string music. He was a founding member of the string department in the Detmold music conservatory.

Tibor Varga
Background information
Born(1921-07-04)4 July 1921
Győr, Hungary
Died4 September 2003(2003-09-04) (aged 82)
Grimisuat, Switzerland
Occupation(s)violinist, conductor
Instrument(s)Violin
WebsiteOfficial website

Early life

Varga was born in Győr, Hungary, in the same region that witnessed the birth of Joseph Joachim, Leopold Auer, Carl Flesch as well as of the famous conductor Hans Richter. Young Varga took his first lessons at the age of two and a half with his father Lajos Varga, who was also a violinist. Due to an injury during the War, Lajos Varga had to abandon his projects to be a concert artist and became a violin maker.

Studies

Coming to the attention of Jenő Hubay, Varga was enrolled at the Budapest Franz Liszt Academy when only ten years old. There, he studied with, among others, Zoltán Kodály and Leó Weiner.[1] After Hubay's death (1937), Varga was chosen to be the soloist in the memorial concert, playing the 3rd Violin Concerto op. 99 by Hubay under the direction of Ernő Dohnányi, who in 1934 had become Hubay's successor as the Rector of the Liszt Academy. On completion of his musical studies at the Liszt Music Academy, Varga devoted himself throughout the war years to studying philosophy at the Budapest University.

Career

Varga was six years old when he made his first public appearance. At ten, he took on his first solo role with an orchestra, performing the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto op. 64. At the age of 13, he made his first recordings. At 14, he took on his first concert tours abroad, until his career had abruptly been interrupted by World War II. After the War he continued his concert activities, becoming one of the most prominent soloists. Varga collaborated with eminent conductors such as Ernest Ansermet, Leonard Bernstein, Pierre Boulez, Ferenc Fricsay, Wilhelm Furtwängler, Igor Markevitch, Hans Rosbaud, Georg Solti and others. He performed with the greatest orchestras such as the Philharmonia Orchestra London and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and recorded for labels such as Deutsche Grammophon and EMI. A recording of the Bartok Violin Concerto no. 2 with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Ferenc Fricsay as well as his versions of the Violin Concertos by Max Bruch, Mozart, Carl Nielsen, Paganini, Tchaikovsky etc. have become major references of musical interpretation.[2]

Varga's classical repertory included the great Violin Concertos as well as the important Violin Sonatas and Concert Pieces. In addition, from the beginning of his career, Tibor Varga devoted himself to contemporary music, of which he became a pioneer. In particular, his interpretations (premières) and recordings of the Violin Concertos and other compositions by Béla Bartók, Alban Berg and Arnold Schönberg have raised these works to the status of "classics" of the repertoire and given them a prime position in international musical life. Among others, Varga played the Australian Première of Alban Berg's Violin Concerto and in 1949, the Violin Concerto by Arnold Schönberg. The composer himself paid tribute to his enthusiasm by a letter which has become famous: "I wished to be younger to write more music of this kind for you." (Schönberg, Letters). The Schönberg Violin Concerto, like the Violin Concertos by Berg, Shostakovich and other works, were also interpreted by Tibor Varga at the BBC Promenade Concerts in the London Royal Albert Hall. Furthermore, he gave the Austrian Première of the Violin Concerto by Strawinsky as well as the World Premières of numerous compositions partly also dedicated to him, such as the Violin Concertos by Boris Blacher, Ernst Krenek, Gösta Nyström, Almeida Prado, Matyas Seiber and Winfried Zillig.

From the beginning of the 1950s, Varga enjoyed equal success as a conductor. His conducting career led to the establishment, in 1954, of a chamber orchestra bearing his name (Kammerorchester Tibor Varga) at Detmold, Germany, as well as to that of the Tibor Varga Festival Orchestra (1964–2001) at Sion. He was chief conductor and artistic director of these ensembles as well as – from 1989 to 1993 – of the Orchestre des Pays de Savoie (France). In addition, Tibor Varga had regularly been invited as a guest conductor to orchestras of international renown.

Pedagogic activities

After World War II, Varga in his home town Győr was co-founder and first professor of a Music Academy associated to the Budapest Franz Liszt Academy. In 1947, he established himself in London. In 1949, he became professor at the newly founded Detmold High School of Music (Hochschule für Musik Detmold). Charged to establish the String Department, for which he was asked to become the Head, Varga, with cellist André Navarra and violists Bruno Giuranna and Nobuko Imai, created a string school of world renown. Since the 1950s, Varga has equally been jury member or president in the leading international Violin and Chamber Music Competitions. Regularly he also directed master classes at Darmstadt (Internationale Ferienkurse für Neue Musik), London, Paris, Salzburg (Mozarteum), Siena (Accademia Chigiana) and other musical centres in Europe and the USA, giving furthermore public lectures on musical themes.

In 1956, Tibor Varga settled in Switzerland, though maintaining his position in Detmold. In 1963, at Sion, the capital of the Canton of Valais in Switzerland, he created an International Academy of Music (Académie de Musique Tibor Varga), specializing in interpretation (or "master") classes for accomplished young players conducted by leading soloists during the summer. In a typical year, the International Academy draws around 400 students to attend about 25 master classes. In 1964, he founded the Festival Tibor Varga (1964–2001), which during nearly four decades was one of the leading international music festivals with concerts broadcast all over the world. In addition, in 1967, he added the annual International Tibor Varga Violin Competition, one of the most prestigious competitions of its genre, including prize-winners like Jean-Jacques Kantorow, Nam Yun Kim, Mirijam Contzen and Vadim Repin.[3]

In 1988, the High School of Music (Ecole Supérieure de Musique) exclusively dedicated to the training of professional string players was born at Sion, with the founder Varga responsible as both artistic and teaching director. Within one year of the founding of the school, a leading music educator proclaimed the Varga school as "one of the three best professional violin academies in Europe", with highly gifted students of all continents. In 2002, the École Supérieure de Musique became the Conservatoire Supérieur et Académie de Musique Tibor Varga. Today, it is part of the Lausanne High School of Music (HEMU Lausanne-Fribourg-Sion). In addition, Varga was an artistic and pedagogic adviser in the services of the ministries of culture in France and Portugal. Since October 2002, he held a chair for violin at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Graz (Universität für Musik und Darstellende Kunst, Graz, Austria).[4]

Graduates of Varga's school are soloists, concertmasters, professors and members of leading orchestras all over the world, including the Berlin Philharmonic, Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala, Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, Staatskapelle Dresden, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, New Japan Philharmonic and others. Madeleine Carruzzo, Varga's student for many years, was the first female member to be admitted to the Berlin Philharmonic.

Distinctions

Varga was an honorary citizen of different towns in France and in Switzerland. France, Germany, Hungary and Switzerland have awarded him high honours, among others the National Prize for Culture (Switzerland), the Cross of Merit (Germany), the Cross of Merit (Hungary), the medals of the Arts et Lettres and of France's Legion of Honour. The Budapest University respectively the Budapest Franz Liszt Academy appointed him honorary professor, a rare distinction awarded, for example, to Edward Elgar, Emil Gilels, Richard Strauss and Arturo Toscanini. Varga's Etude-Caprice for 4 violins composed on the occasion of the European Rector's Conference in Graz, Cultural Capital of Europe, in 2003 has been designated after his death to be the official hymn of the European University Association.

Death

Varga died at his home in Grimisuat, near Sion, Switzerland, on 4 September 2003. With his first wife Judith, he had a son, Gilbert Varga, a noted conductor. His daughter Susan Rybicki-Varga is a cellist and teacher. His second wife Dr. Angelika Varga-Behrer is a musicologist and musician.

References

  1. ^ Blomm, Philip (28 October 2003). "Obituary: Tibor Varga". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  2. ^ "Tibor Varga". The Daily Telegraph. 10 September 2003. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  3. ^ Lukey, Katherine (16 February 2016). Demon or philosopher: the artist and teacher Tibor Varga (Thesis).
  4. ^ "Tibor Varga Violin Competition names 28 candidates for live rounds". The Strad. 15 May 2019. Retrieved 22 April 2020.

Additional Sources

  • J. Creighton, Discopaedia of the Violin, 1889–1971, Toronto 1974
  • S. Applebaum and H. Roth, The Way They Play, Book 10, Neptune/N.J. 1981
  • W. Kiley, Ventures abroad, in: The Strad, Febr. 1987
  • R. Noltensmeier, Geiger von Beruf, Kiel 1999
  • T. Potter, A Fiery Philosopher, in: The Strad, April 2000
  • N. Hornig, Spiegel des Lebens, in: FonoForum, Sept. 2001

See also

External links

  • tiborvarga.ch

tibor, varga, violinist, native, form, this, personal, name, varga, tibor, this, article, uses, western, name, order, when, mentioning, individuals, tibor, varga, july, 1921, september, 2003, hungarian, violinist, conductor, world, renowned, music, teacher, de. The native form of this personal name is Varga Tibor This article uses Western name order when mentioning individuals Tibor Varga 4 July 1921 4 September 2003 was a Hungarian violinist conductor and world renowned music teacher who developed pedagogic methods for teaching string music He was a founding member of the string department in the Detmold music conservatory Tibor VargaBackground informationBorn 1921 07 04 4 July 1921Gyor HungaryDied4 September 2003 2003 09 04 aged 82 Grimisuat SwitzerlandOccupation s violinist conductorInstrument s ViolinWebsiteOfficial website Contents 1 Early life 2 Studies 3 Career 4 Pedagogic activities 5 Distinctions 6 Death 7 References 8 Additional Sources 9 See also 10 External linksEarly life EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Tibor Varga violinist news newspapers books scholar JSTOR October 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Varga was born in Gyor Hungary in the same region that witnessed the birth of Joseph Joachim Leopold Auer Carl Flesch as well as of the famous conductor Hans Richter Young Varga took his first lessons at the age of two and a half with his father Lajos Varga who was also a violinist Due to an injury during the War Lajos Varga had to abandon his projects to be a concert artist and became a violin maker Studies EditComing to the attention of Jeno Hubay Varga was enrolled at the Budapest Franz Liszt Academy when only ten years old There he studied with among others Zoltan Kodaly and Leo Weiner 1 After Hubay s death 1937 Varga was chosen to be the soloist in the memorial concert playing the 3rd Violin Concerto op 99 by Hubay under the direction of Erno Dohnanyi who in 1934 had become Hubay s successor as the Rector of the Liszt Academy On completion of his musical studies at the Liszt Music Academy Varga devoted himself throughout the war years to studying philosophy at the Budapest University Career EditVarga was six years old when he made his first public appearance At ten he took on his first solo role with an orchestra performing the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto op 64 At the age of 13 he made his first recordings At 14 he took on his first concert tours abroad until his career had abruptly been interrupted by World War II After the War he continued his concert activities becoming one of the most prominent soloists Varga collaborated with eminent conductors such as Ernest Ansermet Leonard Bernstein Pierre Boulez Ferenc Fricsay Wilhelm Furtwangler Igor Markevitch Hans Rosbaud Georg Solti and others He performed with the greatest orchestras such as the Philharmonia Orchestra London and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and recorded for labels such as Deutsche Grammophon and EMI A recording of the Bartok Violin Concerto no 2 with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra under Ferenc Fricsay as well as his versions of the Violin Concertos by Max Bruch Mozart Carl Nielsen Paganini Tchaikovsky etc have become major references of musical interpretation 2 Varga s classical repertory included the great Violin Concertos as well as the important Violin Sonatas and Concert Pieces In addition from the beginning of his career Tibor Varga devoted himself to contemporary music of which he became a pioneer In particular his interpretations premieres and recordings of the Violin Concertos and other compositions by Bela Bartok Alban Berg and Arnold Schonberg have raised these works to the status of classics of the repertoire and given them a prime position in international musical life Among others Varga played the Australian Premiere of Alban Berg s Violin Concerto and in 1949 the Violin Concerto by Arnold Schonberg The composer himself paid tribute to his enthusiasm by a letter which has become famous I wished to be younger to write more music of this kind for you Schonberg Letters The Schonberg Violin Concerto like the Violin Concertos by Berg Shostakovich and other works were also interpreted by Tibor Varga at the BBC Promenade Concerts in the London Royal Albert Hall Furthermore he gave the Austrian Premiere of the Violin Concerto by Strawinsky as well as the World Premieres of numerous compositions partly also dedicated to him such as the Violin Concertos by Boris Blacher Ernst Krenek Gosta Nystrom Almeida Prado Matyas Seiber and Winfried Zillig From the beginning of the 1950s Varga enjoyed equal success as a conductor His conducting career led to the establishment in 1954 of a chamber orchestra bearing his name Kammerorchester Tibor Varga at Detmold Germany as well as to that of the Tibor Varga Festival Orchestra 1964 2001 at Sion He was chief conductor and artistic director of these ensembles as well as from 1989 to 1993 of the Orchestre des Pays de Savoie France In addition Tibor Varga had regularly been invited as a guest conductor to orchestras of international renown Pedagogic activities EditAfter World War II Varga in his home town Gyor was co founder and first professor of a Music Academy associated to the Budapest Franz Liszt Academy In 1947 he established himself in London In 1949 he became professor at the newly founded Detmold High School of Music Hochschule fur Musik Detmold Charged to establish the String Department for which he was asked to become the Head Varga with cellist Andre Navarra and violists Bruno Giuranna and Nobuko Imai created a string school of world renown Since the 1950s Varga has equally been jury member or president in the leading international Violin and Chamber Music Competitions Regularly he also directed master classes at Darmstadt Internationale Ferienkurse fur Neue Musik London Paris Salzburg Mozarteum Siena Accademia Chigiana and other musical centres in Europe and the USA giving furthermore public lectures on musical themes In 1956 Tibor Varga settled in Switzerland though maintaining his position in Detmold In 1963 at Sion the capital of the Canton of Valais in Switzerland he created an International Academy of Music Academie de Musique Tibor Varga specializing in interpretation or master classes for accomplished young players conducted by leading soloists during the summer In a typical year the International Academy draws around 400 students to attend about 25 master classes In 1964 he founded the Festival Tibor Varga 1964 2001 which during nearly four decades was one of the leading international music festivals with concerts broadcast all over the world In addition in 1967 he added the annual International Tibor Varga Violin Competition one of the most prestigious competitions of its genre including prize winners like Jean Jacques Kantorow Nam Yun Kim Mirijam Contzen and Vadim Repin 3 In 1988 the High School of Music Ecole Superieure de Musique exclusively dedicated to the training of professional string players was born at Sion with the founder Varga responsible as both artistic and teaching director Within one year of the founding of the school a leading music educator proclaimed the Varga school as one of the three best professional violin academies in Europe with highly gifted students of all continents In 2002 the Ecole Superieure de Musique became the Conservatoire Superieur et Academie de Musique Tibor Varga Today it is part of the Lausanne High School of Music HEMU Lausanne Fribourg Sion In addition Varga was an artistic and pedagogic adviser in the services of the ministries of culture in France and Portugal Since October 2002 he held a chair for violin at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz Universitat fur Musik und Darstellende Kunst Graz Austria 4 Graduates of Varga s school are soloists concertmasters professors and members of leading orchestras all over the world including the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala Symphonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks Staatskapelle Dresden Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin New Japan Philharmonic and others Madeleine Carruzzo Varga s student for many years was the first female member to be admitted to the Berlin Philharmonic Distinctions EditVarga was an honorary citizen of different towns in France and in Switzerland France Germany Hungary and Switzerland have awarded him high honours among others the National Prize for Culture Switzerland the Cross of Merit Germany the Cross of Merit Hungary the medals of the Arts et Lettres and of France s Legion of Honour The Budapest University respectively the Budapest Franz Liszt Academy appointed him honorary professor a rare distinction awarded for example to Edward Elgar Emil Gilels Richard Strauss and Arturo Toscanini Varga s Etude Caprice for 4 violins composed on the occasion of the European Rector s Conference in Graz Cultural Capital of Europe in 2003 has been designated after his death to be the official hymn of the European University Association Death EditVarga died at his home in Grimisuat near Sion Switzerland on 4 September 2003 With his first wife Judith he had a son Gilbert Varga a noted conductor His daughter Susan Rybicki Varga is a cellist and teacher His second wife Dr Angelika Varga Behrer is a musicologist and musician References Edit Blomm Philip 28 October 2003 Obituary Tibor Varga The Guardian ISSN 0261 3077 Retrieved 22 April 2020 Tibor Varga The Daily Telegraph 10 September 2003 ISSN 0307 1235 Retrieved 22 April 2020 Lukey Katherine 16 February 2016 Demon or philosopher the artist and teacher Tibor Varga Thesis Tibor Varga Violin Competition names 28 candidates for live rounds The Strad 15 May 2019 Retrieved 22 April 2020 Additional Sources EditJ Creighton Discopaedia of the Violin 1889 1971 Toronto 1974 S Applebaum and H Roth The Way They Play Book 10 Neptune N J 1981 W Kiley Ventures abroad in The Strad Febr 1987 R Noltensmeier Geiger von Beruf Kiel 1999 T Potter A Fiery Philosopher in The Strad April 2000 N Hornig Spiegel des Lebens in FonoForum Sept 2001See also Edit France portalLegion of Honour List of Legion of Honour recipients by name V Legion of Honour MuseumExternal links Edittiborvarga ch Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Tibor Varga violinist amp oldid 1133652962, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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