Ildikó Szabó

Acclaimed for her musical intellect and imagination coupled with technical virtuosity, Ildikó Szabó is a laureate of the Casals Cello Competition where she was the winner of the 2nd Prize, the Audience Award, and 7 Special Prizes. Ildikó has appeared as a soloist with the Budapest Festival Orchestra under Iván Fischer, the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra, the Concerto Budapest, the Magdeburgische Philharmonie, the Hamburger Symphoniker, and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Major festival invitations included the Festspiele Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, the Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, BBC at Hay Festival, OCM Prussia Cove, Krzyzowa Music, Verbier Festival, and Piatigorsky Cello Festival. She has appeared in prestigious concert halls such as the Mariinsky Theater II, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Elbphilharmonie, Walt Disney Hall, and Liszt Academy in Budapest. She made her debut at the Berlin Konzerthaus, invited by her mentor Alfred Brendel. Ildikó studied with L. Mező from the age of 11 at the Liszt Academy Budapest, while studying every summer with J.Starker. She went on to study under J.P.Maintz at the UdK Berlin, followed by the „Konzertexamen“ programme at the HfM Liszt Weimar with W.E.Schmidt where she also became his assistant. She is laureate of G. Capuçon’s “Classe d’Excellence“. Ildikó is currently studying at Kronberg Academy. She plays an A.Sgarbi cello (1894), loaned by the Deutsche Stiftung Musikleben. Ildikó is a Larsen String artist.