Jozsef Szigeti Hungarian and American violinist. Date of Birth: 05.09.1892 Country: Switzerland

Biography of József Szigeti

József Szigeti was a Hungarian and American violinist, born in Budapest in 1892. He received his first violin lessons from his father, who was a professional musician. He then entered the Budapest Academy of Music, studying under Jenő Hubay. By the age of ten, Szigeti was already performing in public, and in 1905, he had his first concert in Berlin, where his talent was acknowledged by Joseph Joachim.

Despite an offer from Joachim to become his pupil, Szigeti declined. After a successful debut in London in 1907, he decided to stay in the UK, where he gave numerous concerts over the next few years, often performing with renowned musicians such as Nellie Melba, Blanche Marchesi, Myra Hess, Ferruccio Busoni, and others.

After the end of World War I, Szigeti turned to teaching at the Geneva Conservatory but returned to the concert stage in the mid-1920s, achieving great success once again. He performed extensively in various European cities and made several concert tours to the USSR between 1924 and 1927. He was one of the first interpreters of Sergey Prokofiev's First Violin Concerto, including its performance at the second festival of the International Society for Contemporary Music in 1924.

In 1925, Szigeti made his debut at Carnegie Hall in New York City, performing Beethoven's concerto with the orchestra conducted by Leopold Stokowski. In the 1930s, he embarked on extensive concert tours around the world, visiting Eastern Asia, Australia, New Zealand, and South America. It was during this time that he settled in the United States and became acquainted with Béla Bartók. Szigeti became one of the foremost interpreters of Bartók's Second Violin Concerto and the first performer of his trio "Contrasts" (together with Bartók himself and clarinetist Benny Goodman).

After many years of active concertizing, Szigeti decided to retire from the stage in the late 1950s. He settled in Switzerland and focused on writing memoirs and methodological works about violin repertoire. Szigeti was frequently invited to serve on the jury of various international competitions. He is considered one of the most notable violinists of the 20th century.

Szigeti's talent was particularly evident in his performances of Johann Sebastian Bach's sonatas and partitas for solo violin. His interpretations of Beethoven and Brahms' monumental concertos were also highly acclaimed. He had a keen interest in contemporary music and frequently premiered new compositions for the violin, including concertos by Ernest Bloch, Frank Martin, and Alfredo Casella. His repertoire also included works by Berg, Milhaud, Ravel, Russell, and Stravinsky. Szigeti also made several arrangements and cadenzas for concertos throughout his career.