| Biography | Laszlo Heltay was born in Budapest and studied conducting and composition at the Franz Liszt Academy under Kodaly and Bardos. He became a British citizen in 1957. In 1964 he went to New Zealand as associate conductor of the NZBC Symphony Orchestra and director of the NZ Opera Company. On his return to London he became conductor of the Phoenix Opera Company and also worked as assistant to Klemperer.
Throughout his distinguished career Laszlo Heltay has conducted many major orchestras including the Philharmonia, the Dresden Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Dallas Symphony and the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestras. He has also conducted many radio orchestras and choirs including those of Brussels, Hamburg, Stuttgart, Madrid, Budapest and Stockholm. In addition he founded the Academy Chorus of St Martin in the Fields with whom directed the choral music for the film Amadeus and a recording of Paco Pena's Misa Flamenca. In 1982 he was awarded the International Kodaly Medal.
In November 1967 Laszlo Heltay was invited to form a choir for the Brighton Festival which was planning a performance of Walton's Belshazzar's Feast to be conducted by Sir William Walton on 11th May, 1968. The performance was a huge success and launched Brighton Festival Chorus as an important part of the music scene in Britain and, under Laszlo's directorship, one of the most successful choirs in the country.
Laszlo Heltay remained Brighton Festival Chorus' Music Director for the following 27 years during which time the Chorus formed long and close associations with a number of leading orchestras and conductors including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Andre Previn, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Lord Menuhin who was the Chorus' President until his death. Highlights of these years include a memorable Bach B Minor Mass with Karl Richter, Kodaly's Psalmus Hungaricus with Istvan Kertesz for Decca and many concerts and recordings with Antal Dorati.
Laszlo lived in Barcelona for several years where he was closely involved with the Madrid Radio Choir as well as continuing a busy schedule of conducting and master classes for young choral conductors in Europe and the USA. More recently he has returned to live in Budapest. |