BIOGRAPHY
Szabolcs Sándor started his musical studies at the age of 5 on the piano. His first stage performance was at the age of 7. Then he appeared on stages in Budapest and Hungary (radio, cultural centres, Hungarian competitions in Budapest). In 1991, he graduated from the Béla Bartók Conservatory in Budapest as a student of Katalin Schweitzer, majoring in piano. In 1996, he graduated from the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music (summa cum laude), his teacher was Dénes Várjon. After graduating, the chamber musician continued his studies in tutoring, where he graduated in 1998 in the main hall of the Academy of Music. His teachers were: Emmi Varasdy, József Patkó, György Vashegyi, László Tihanyi, József Sári. In 2007, he graduated from the conducting course of the Accademia Musicale Pescarese in the class of Maestro Donato Renzetti. He participated in several national and international courses: Yuri Simonov, Zoltán Peskó, Daniele Gatti, Aldo Ceccato, Dario Lucantoni, and Zsolt Hamar
In 2006, he won 3rd prize at the International Opera Conductor Competition in Orvieto, conducting Puccini's opera: La Bohéme.
In 2008, the Hungarian State Opera honoured him with the László Pless Award.
Besides active conducting, since 2011 he works as the opera-couch and conductor of the MA Opera faculty in the Liszt Ferenc Music Academy, Budapest, where he also earned his PhD in 2018.
Currently, he is to be seen in several grand productions in the Hungarian National Opera and in the Operette Theatre, Budapest.
One of his most recent projects involves being assistant conductor in the opera production György Kurtág: Fin de partie in the Valencia Opera.
He regularly holds master classes for singers and repetitors.
Szabolcs Sándor has been the official repetitor of the International Éva Marton Singing Competition for years.
Collegium Symphonicum Hungariucm
Final Concert
28th of November, 2021
REVIEWS
ORIGO. (2022.01.11.)
"A zenekart Pfeiffer Gyula főzeneigazgató és Sándor Szabolcs vezényli estéről estére. Indokolt volt a vendég operakarmester meghívása a produkcióra. Sándor így beemelheti jelentős nemzetközi, mások mellett pekingi zenei tapasztalatait a zenekar dirigálásába. Pfeiffer mellett – aki anno szintén az Operából érkezett – egy olyan nívójú karmester tud összefogni és reprezentálni a zenekarral együtt, mint Sándor Szabolcs."
"Lehár's music is particularly well suited to him, together with Gyula Pfeiffer, they capture the drama of the music; it was a particular pleasure to hear the brass and percussion section. Make no mistake: despite the operatic instrumental and vocal requirements, Lehár is not winking toward the opera genre. (...) Lehár's musical fabric sets such high expectations for the performers that, in addition to Pfeiffer - who also came from the Opera that year - a conductor of the same calibre as Sándor Szabolcs can unite and represent together with the orchestra."
(transl. from HU)