Solti, Georg (1912–1997)

Hungarian-born British conductor. He was music director at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London 1961–71, and director of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra 1969–91. He was also principal conductor of the London Philharmonic Orchestra 1979–83. He made more than 250 recordings, including 45 operas, throughout his recording career and was honoured with 32 Grammy awards – more than any other artist. He was made a KBE in 1971.

Encouraged to play the piano by his mother, he earned a place at the famous Budapest Liszt Academy at the age of 12. He then worked as an unpaid apprentice répétiteur at the State Opera House in Budapest and aided Toscanini in the 1936 and 1937 Salzburg music festivals. As Jews were barred from holding posts at the Budapest Opera, he left for Switzerland in 1939 and remained there throughout the war. At this stage, he was still doing more piano playing than conducting – he won the 1942 Geneva International Piano Competition. However, his determination to conduct eventually paid off and he was given the music directorship at the Bavarian State Opera, Germany (which he held 1946–52), after he had been heard conducting in Munich. Work followed in Frankfurt 1952–60.