Tatrai, Vilmos (1912–1999)

Hungarian violinist. After study at the Budapest Conservatory, he played in the municipal orchestra there 1933–36. He was leader of the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra 1940–78 and founded the Tatrai Quartet in 1946, which undertook many tours of Europe and the Far East from 1955, with appearances at the Salzburg, Edinburgh, and Vienna Festivals. The Quartet's repertory of 360 compositions included more than 100 premieres and the group has recorded complete cycles of the Haydn, Beethoven, and Bartók quartets. Tatrai was founder and leader of the Hungarian Chamber Orchestra in 1957 and professor at the Franz Liszt Academy from 1965.