Hungarian conductor, pianist Zoltan Kocsis dead at 64
Xinhua, November 7, 2016 Adjust font size:
The renowned Hungarian composer, conductor, and pianist Zoltan Kocsis, died in Budapest on Sunday at the age of 64, local media reported.
No cause of death was given but Kocsis had undergone cardiac and aortic valve surgery in 2012 and had cancelled an international tour in mid-October on medical advice.
In a Facebook blog fellow conductor Ivan Fischer described Kocsis as a musical giant and a rare genius who has had an immeasurable influence upon an entire generation.
Kocsis was a leading personality in Hungarian musical life since the 1970s.
He was one of the founders of the Budapest Festival Orchestra along with conductor Ivan Fischer in 1983. He performed all over the world, initially as a pianist, and since 1987 as a conductor. He was principal conductor of the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra from 1997 until his death.
Kocsis was one of Bela Bartok's best known piano interpreters. His arrangements for orchestra and piano included works by Bach, Haydn, Dvorak, Debussy, Ravel, Wagner, Bartok, and Kodaly. Endit