ABSTRACT
Hungarian/English conductor and pianist, born Gyîrgy Solti in Budapest. He played the piano in public at age 12, and studied at the Liszt Academy (with teachers Ernî Dohnanyi, Béla Bartok, and Zoltan Kodaly). He was accompanist at Salzburg in 1936 and 1937, under Arturo Toscanini, and made his conducting debut in Budapest in 1938. He spent the World War I years in Switzerland, then became conductor of the State Opera in Munich, remaining to 1952. From there he went to Frankfurt, directing symphonic and operatic activity. In 1960, following appearances at the Metropolitan Opera and San Francisco Opera, Solti became director of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, but after a year went to Covent Garden where he was music director until 1971. He took U.K citizenship and was knighted in 1972. From 1969 to 1990 he was music director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, achieving world recognition for himself and the ensemble. The CSO won 20 Grammy awards under Solti’s direction. He was also principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra in 1979-1983. He retired from the Chicago post in 1990, having passed the baton to his chosen heir, Daniel Barenboim. Solti was awarded the National Medal of the Arts in 1993. He died in the Antibes.
