Vilmos Szabadi

Who is Vilmos Szabadi?

Vilmos Szabadi, sometimes referred to as Wilhelm Szabadi is a Hungarian violinist.

Szabadi studied under Professor Ferenc Halász at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest where on receiving his diploma, he became the youngest-ever member to join the teaching staff. Then he studied, after graduation, with Sándor Végh, Ruggiero Ricci and Loránt Fenyves. In 1982 he won first prize in the Hungarian Radio Violin Competition and the following year in the Jenő Hubay competition in Budapest. In 1985 Szabadi was awarded 3rd prize at the international Jean Sibelius Violin Competition in Finland where he has since been invited to perform regularly and to give master classes.

His career as an international concert violinist took off when Sir Georg Solti invited him to play Bartók's 2nd Violin Concerto during a Bartók Festival at the Royal Festival Hall in London in 1988. The success of the concert, led to invitations from the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Philharmonic and the RTÉ Concert Orchestra. Szabadi was among the musicians invited by HRH Prince Charles to perform at the celebration in honour of Sir Georg Solti's 80th birthday held at Buckingham Palace in 1992.