Hungarian-British Conductor Sir Georg Solti Died in 1997

He was especially noted for his interpretations of Romantic orchestral and operatic works

Born on October 21, 1912, in Budapest, Hungary, Hungarian-British conductor Sir Georg Solti enrolled at the Liszt Academy, studying piano, composition, and conducting with Béla Bartók, Ernst von Dohnányi, Zoltán Kodály, and Leo Weiner.

Arturo Toscanini chose him as his conducting assistant for the Salzburg Festival in 1937.

The onset of World War II led Solti to escape to Switzerland as a refugee. Here he could only support himself through piano performances. However, he found great success after winning the 1942 Geneva International Music Competition.

After the war, Solti became the music director of the Bavarian State Opera and was appointed to the same role at the Frankfurt City Opera in 1952. He conducted the first commercial studio recording of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen with the Vienna Philharmonic from 1958 to 1965. He also served as the music director of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden from 1961 to 1971.

Solti debuted with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra in 1954 and in 1968, the orchestra announced that Solti would be appointed the Chicago Symphony Orchestra’s eighth music director. In his 22 years as director, Solti significantly elevated the Orchestra’s global reputation. In 1991, Solti relinquished this role but became a music director laureate. His 1000th performance with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was scheduled for October 1997 — yet Maestro Solti passed away suddenly one month prior.

The record for the most Grammy Awards won in a lifetime by a male is held by Solti, winning 31 Grammy Awards.

SIR GEORG SOLTI | BEETHOVEN | CORIOLAN OVERTURE, OP. 62 | SIR GEORG SOLTI & LONDON PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA | 1987