Opera Scotland

György Fischer Suggest updates

Born Budapest, 12 August 1935.

Died Cologne, 25 October 2020.

Hungarian-born conductor and pianist.

György Fischer studied piano, composition and conductng in Budapest at the Ferenc Liszt Academy.  He escaped from Hungary in 1957 and continued his studies at the Salzburg Mozarteum.

From 1960 -64 he was Karajan's assistant at the Vienna Staatsoper.  He made his conducting debut at the Theater an der Wien in 1962 (Die Zauberflöte).  The following year he conducted Die Entführung aus dem Serail at the Staatsoper.  As well as a fine conductor of Mozart, he developed a career collaborating with many leading lieder singers.  He also played harpsichord continuo with Nikolaus Harnoncourt's Concentus Musikus.

He moved to Cologne in 1964, becoming assistant to István Kertész and the company's first conductor.  He remained with the company for many years, with Sir John Pritchard leading the company after the early death of Kertész in 1973.  While continuing to base himself at Cologne, he made guest appearances in Canada,  Australia,  Israel and South America.

He worked at the Wexford Festival in 1984, conducting a little-known comedy by Cimarosa Le astuzie femminili.

His British debut came in 1973 with Welsh National Opera (Die Zauberflöte), returning in 1973 (Entführung), 1978 (Nozze di Figaro),  1984 (Die lustige Witwe), 1985 (Così fan tutte)l and 1987 (Barbiere di Siviglia and Die Fledermaus).  In 1979.  he conducted Mitridate, re di Ponto in London, at the Camden Festival.  From then on he conducted regular concerts with the English Chamber Orchestra.

His first appearance in Scotland was a tour to Glasgow of that WNO Magic Flute in 1979.  He later conducted several Mozart stagings with Scottish Opera - Le nozze di Figaro,  Così fan tutte and Idomeneo.