Gábor Takács-Nagy
Encyclopedia
Gabor Takács-Nagy is a Hungarian violinist and conductor. He began violin studies at age 8. He attended the Franz Liszt Academy of Music
, where he was a winner of the Jenő Hubay
prize. His teachers at the Liszt Academy included Ferenc Rados
, András Mihály, and György Kurtág
.
In 1975, Takács-Nagy, Károly Schranz
, Gabor Ormai and András Fejér founded the Takács Quartet
. The quartet recorded for the Hungaroton
and Decca labels. Takács-Nagy left the ensemble in 1992, after he had developed hand stress, which forced him to stop playing the violin, and personal tensions arose within the quartet after their emigration from Hungary to the United States. Following his departure from the quartet, he underwent musical therapy and resumed playing the violin.
In 1996, Takács-Nagy founded the Takács Piano Trio with Dénes Várjon (piano) and Péter Szabo (cello). He also became concertmaster of the Budapest Festival Orchestra
. In 1997, he joined the faculty of the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève
as Professor of String Quartet. In 1998, he established the Mikrokosmos String Quartet with Zoltán Tuska (second violin), Sándor Papp (viola) and Miklós Perényi (cello).
Takács-Nagy also began to develop an interest in conducting. In 2005, he formed the string orchestra Camerata Bellerive, as a resident ensemble at the Festival de Bellerive
in Geneva
, where he has served as co-artistic director. In 2007, he became Music Director of the Verbier Festival
Chamber Orchestra, as well as principal guest conductor of the Hungarian State Symphony and of the MÁV Symphony Orchestra. In September 2010, he became chief conductor and artistic director of the MÁV Symphony Orchestra. In March 2010, the Manchester Camerata
announced the appointment of Takács-Nagy as its fifth principal conductor, effective with the 2011-2012 season, with an initial contract of 3 years, leading 12 concerts per year. He has recorded with the Manchester Camerata commercially for the Avie label.
Takács-Nagy has held the International Chair in Chamber Music at the Royal Northern College of Music
. He married Lesley de Sanger (née Townson), a native of Burnley
, in 1991. They have two daughters.
Franz Liszt Academy of Music
The Franz Liszt Academy of Music is a concert hall and music conservatory in Budapest, Hungary, founded on November 14, 1875...
, where he was a winner of the Jenő Hubay
Jeno Hubay
Eugen Huber , better known by his Hungarian name Jenő Hubay , was a Hungarian violinist, composer and music teacher.-Early life:Eugen Huber was born into a German family of musicians in Pest, Hungary...
prize. His teachers at the Liszt Academy included Ferenc Rados
Ferenc Rados
Ferenc Rados is a Hungarian pianist and professor of piano and chamber music. Until 1996 he taught at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary...
, András Mihály, and György Kurtág
György Kurtág
György Kurtág is a Hungarian composer of contemporary music.- Biography :György Kurtág was born in Lugoj in the Banat region, Romania.In 1946, he began his studies at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where he met his wife, Márta, and also György Ligeti, who became a close friend...
.
In 1975, Takács-Nagy, Károly Schranz
Károly Schranz
Károly Schranz is a Hungarian violinist, founding and current member of the Takács Quartet.-Biography:Born in Budapest, Hungary, he began playing the violin at the age of four, receiving his first lessons from a Gypsy violinist neighbor...
, Gabor Ormai and András Fejér founded the Takács Quartet
Takács Quartet
The Takács Quartet is a string quartet, founded in Hungary, and now based in Boulder, Colorado, United States.- History :In 1975, four students at the Music Academy in Budapest, Gabor Takács-Nagy , Károly Schranz , Gabor Ormai , and András Fejér formed The Takács Quartet...
. The quartet recorded for the Hungaroton
Hungaroton
Hungaroton was the one and only record and music publisher company in Hungary for about 40 years.Hungaroton was founded in 1951, since then, its only competitors in the Hungarian music market were record labels like Melodiya, Supraphon and Eterna from other socialist countries. Previously called...
and Decca labels. Takács-Nagy left the ensemble in 1992, after he had developed hand stress, which forced him to stop playing the violin, and personal tensions arose within the quartet after their emigration from Hungary to the United States. Following his departure from the quartet, he underwent musical therapy and resumed playing the violin.
In 1996, Takács-Nagy founded the Takács Piano Trio with Dénes Várjon (piano) and Péter Szabo (cello). He also became concertmaster of the Budapest Festival Orchestra
Budapest Festival Orchestra
The Budapest Festival Orchestra was formed in 1983 by Iván Fischer and Zoltán Kocsis, with musicians "drawn from the cream of Hungary's younger players", as The Times put it...
. In 1997, he joined the faculty of the Conservatoire de Musique de Genève
Conservatoire de musique de Genève
The Conservatoire de musique de Genève is a music school in Geneva, Switzerland.Founded by François Bartholoni in 1835. This conservatory is the oldest music education institution in Switzerland and one of the oldest conservatory in Europe. Franz Liszt has taught at this conservatory during the...
as Professor of String Quartet. In 1998, he established the Mikrokosmos String Quartet with Zoltán Tuska (second violin), Sándor Papp (viola) and Miklós Perényi (cello).
Takács-Nagy also began to develop an interest in conducting. In 2005, he formed the string orchestra Camerata Bellerive, as a resident ensemble at the Festival de Bellerive
Bellerive, Switzerland
Bellerive is a former municipality in the district of Broye-Vully in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.The municipalities of Bellerive, Chabrey, Constantine, Montmagny, Mur , Vallamand and Villars-le-Grand merged on 1 July 2011 into the new municipality of Vully-les-Lacs.-Geography:Bellerive has an...
in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, where he has served as co-artistic director. In 2007, he became Music Director of the Verbier Festival
Verbier Festival
The Verbier Festival is an international music festival that takes place annually for two weeks in late July and early August in the mountain resort of Verbier, Switzerland.Founded by Swedish expatriate Martin T...
Chamber Orchestra, as well as principal guest conductor of the Hungarian State Symphony and of the MÁV Symphony Orchestra. In September 2010, he became chief conductor and artistic director of the MÁV Symphony Orchestra. In March 2010, the Manchester Camerata
Manchester Camerata
The Manchester Camerata is a British chamber orchestra based in Manchester, England. The orchestra was founded in the 1971–1972 season. A sub-group from the orchestra, the Manchester Camerata Ensemble, specialises in chamber music performances....
announced the appointment of Takács-Nagy as its fifth principal conductor, effective with the 2011-2012 season, with an initial contract of 3 years, leading 12 concerts per year. He has recorded with the Manchester Camerata commercially for the Avie label.
Takács-Nagy has held the International Chair in Chamber Music at the Royal Northern College of Music
Royal Northern College of Music
The Royal Northern College of Music is a music school in Manchester, England. It is located on Oxford Road in Chorlton on Medlock, at the western edge of the campus of the University of Manchester and is one of four conservatories associated with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music...
. He married Lesley de Sanger (née Townson), a native of Burnley
Burnley
Burnley is a market town in the Burnley borough of Lancashire, England, with a population of around 73,500. It lies north of Manchester and east of Preston, at the confluence of the River Calder and River Brun....
, in 1991. They have two daughters.