Gábor Hollerung

Gábor Hollerung (Budapest, 18 August 1954 –) Liszt Prize winning conductor, chorus master; Meritorious Artist of Hungary; Executive Music Director of Budafok Dohnányi Ernő Symphonic Orchestra; master conductor of Budapest Academic Choral Society; Arts Director of Zemplén Festival; founder and Art Director of the Budapest International Choir Competition.

Studies

Studied at Liszt Ferenc College of Music, specialized as chorus master (1972-77) and conductor (1975-80). Here his professors were Zoltán Vásárhelyi, István Párkai and András Kórodi. He did further training in master courses led by Eric Ericson (1975), Kurt Masur (1978) and László Somogyi (1981).

Professional career

1979–81: second conductor of Miskolc Symphonic Orchestra

1981–83: teacher of music theory, music history and choir conducting, leader of a women’s choir at Janus Pannonius University of Pécs

2001–2008: Music Director, later Art Director of Honvéd Ensemble

1989–2000: master conductor of Budafok Dohnányi Orchestra; from 2001: Executive Music Director of Budafok Dohnányi Orchestra

Conducting activities

In Hungary

1979–81: second conductor of Miskolc Symphonic Orchestra. Master conductor (since 1989), Executive Music Director (since 2001) of Budafok Dohnányi Orchestra. Conducted several Hungarian orchestras as guest conductor.

Abroad

2002–2005: first guest conductor of Jerusalem Symphony Orchestra. 2002¬2007: musical consultant for Philharmonia Singers, Tel Aviv. In addition to playing concerts with a great number of European orchestras, he has been guest conductor for Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Cincinatti Symphony Orchestra, Brazilian Symphony Orchestra, Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Guangzhou Symphony Orchestra and National Symphony Orchestra Taiwan.

Honours

  • Merited Artist of Hungary (2015)
  • Jerusalem Award (2006)
  • Liszt Prize (2004)
  • Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (2002)

Discography

  • Europäische Chormusik [European Choral Music] (TELDEC LP 1987)
  • Carl Orff: Carmina Burana (CD 1995)
  • Karai József Kórusművei [József Karai’s Choral Works] (HUNGAROTON CD 1996)
  • Orchestral Fireworks (CD 1996)
  • Happy New Millennium (CD 2000)
  • The Jubilee Concerts – Kodály: Psalmus Hungaricus, Bartók: Concerto (CD 2001)
  • Happy New Year (CDs 2001–2009)
  • Mendelssohn and Hoffmeister Male Choruses (CD 2003)
  • Dvořák: Symphony No. 8., Mozart: Haffner Symphony (CD 2004)
  • Mozart: Requiem (CD 2005), with completions of Mozart’s fragment by Tamás Pánczél
  • Extázis [Ecstasy] (CD 2008) (Stravinsky: Le Sacre du Printemps, Ravel: Bolero, Pánczél: Klezmer Suite, Piazzolla: Fuga y Misterio & Libertango)
  • Vajda: Choral Works (Hungaroton CD 2008)
  • Madarász: Az utolsó keringő [The Last Waltz] – opera (Hungaroton CD 2009)
  • Strauss: Hősi élet [A Hero’s Life] (CD 2009)
  • Dohnányi: II. Szimfónia [Symphony No. 2] (CD 2010)
  • Dohnányi 20 (Selection from the concert recordings of 20-year-old Budafok Dohnányi Orchestra) (CD 2013)
  • Gyöngyösi: I. szimfónia [Symphony No. 1]; Istenkép [Image of God] (Fidelio CD 2014)
  • Beethoven: IX. Szimfónia [Symphony No. 9] (CD 2014)
  • Bartók: Bluebeard’s Castle (CD 2017)
  • Dubrovay: The Complete Piano Concertos (CD 2017)
  • John Williams: Harry Potter Suite (CD 2019)