Tibor Varga (violinist) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Tibor Varga
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| Background information | |
| Born | 4 July 1921 Győr, Hungary |
| Died | 4 September 2003 (aged 82) Grimisuat, Switzerland |
| Occupation(s) | violinist, conductor |
| Instruments | Violin |
Tibor Varga (born July 4, 1921, died September 4, 2003) was a famous Hungarian violinist and conductor. He was also a highly respected music teacher. He created special ways to teach string instruments like the violin. He helped start the string music department at the Detmold music school.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Early Musical Start
Tibor Varga was born in Győr, Hungary. This area was also home to other famous musicians. Tibor started learning the violin very early, at just two and a half years old. His first teacher was his father, Lajos Varga, who was also a violinist. Sadly, his father had an injury during a war. This meant he could not be a concert artist. Instead, he became a violin maker.
Studying at the Academy
When Tibor was only ten, a famous musician named Jenő Hubay noticed his talent. Tibor then joined the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest. There, he studied with important teachers like Zoltán Kodály and Leó Weiner. After Hubay passed away in 1937, Tibor was chosen for a special concert. He played Hubay's Violin Concerto with a famous conductor, Ernő Dohnányi. After finishing his music studies, Tibor also studied philosophy at the Budapest University during the war years.
A Career on Stage
First Performances
Tibor Varga first performed in public when he was six years old. At age ten, he played his first solo with an orchestra. He performed the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. By the time he was 13, he made his first music recordings. At 14, he started touring abroad for concerts. His career was stopped for a while by World War II.
Post-War Success
After the war, Tibor continued his concerts. He became one of the most important soloists. He worked with many great conductors. These included Leonard Bernstein and Georg Solti. He played with famous orchestras like the Philharmonia Orchestra London. He also played with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. His recordings of concertos by Béla Bartók, Max Bruch, and Tchaikovsky are still very important.
Modern Music Pioneer
Tibor Varga played many classical violin pieces. But he also loved new music. He was a pioneer in playing modern music. He performed and recorded violin concertos by Béla Bartók, Alban Berg, and Arnold Schönberg. His performances helped make these works famous. Schönberg himself wrote a letter praising Tibor's passion. Tibor also played these modern concertos at the BBC Promenade Concerts in London. He performed new pieces by other composers too. Some of these were even written just for him.
Becoming a Conductor
In the early 1950s, Tibor Varga also became a successful conductor. In 1954, he started his own chamber orchestra in Detmold, Germany. It was called the Kammerorchester Tibor Varga. He also founded the Tibor Varga Festival Orchestra in Sion in 1964. He led these groups as their main conductor. He was also a guest conductor for many other famous orchestras.
Teaching and Music Schools
Building a String School
After World War II, Tibor Varga helped start a Music Academy in his hometown, Győr. In 1949, he became a professor at the new Detmold High School of Music. He was asked to create and lead the String Department there. With other great musicians, he built a world-famous string school.
Master Classes and Competitions
From the 1950s, Tibor Varga was a judge for top international music competitions. He also led master classes for students in many cities. These included London, Paris, and Salzburg. He also gave public talks about music.
Music Academy in Switzerland
In 1956, Tibor Varga moved to Switzerland. In 1963, he started the International Academy of Music in Sion, Switzerland. This academy offered special master classes in the summer. Young, talented musicians came from all over the world to learn from leading soloists. About 400 students attended these classes each year.
Festival and Competition
In 1964, he founded the Festival Tibor Varga. For almost 40 years, this was a leading international music festival. Its concerts were broadcast worldwide. In 1967, he added the annual International Tibor Varga Violin Competition. This competition became one of the most respected of its kind. Famous winners include Vadim Repin.
Professional Training
In 1988, Tibor Varga opened a High School of Music in Sion. This school was just for training professional string players. Within a year, it was called one of the best violin academies in Europe. It attracted very talented students from all over the world. Today, this school is part of a larger music university. Tibor Varga also advised culture ministries in France and Portugal. In 2002, he became a violin professor in Graz, Austria.
Successful Students
Many of Tibor Varga's students became successful musicians. They are soloists, concertmasters, and professors. They also play in leading orchestras around the world. These include the Berlin Philharmonic and the Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala. One of his students, Madeleine Carruzzo, was the first woman to join the Berlin Philharmonic.
Awards and Honors
Tibor Varga received many honors. He was made an honorary citizen in towns in France and Switzerland. France, Germany, Hungary, and Switzerland gave him high awards. These included the National Prize for Culture from Switzerland. He also received the Cross of Merit from Germany. He was given medals like the Arts et Lettres and the French Legion of Honour. The Budapest University and the Franz Liszt Academy made him an honorary professor. This is a rare honor given to very few people, like Richard Strauss.
In 2003, Tibor Varga composed a piece called Etude-Caprice for four violins. After he passed away, this piece became the official song of the European University Association.
Personal Life
Tibor Varga passed away at his home in Grimisuat, Switzerland, on September 4, 2003. He had a son, Gilbert Varga, who is a well-known conductor. His daughter, Susan Rybicki-Varga, is a cellist and teacher.
See also
- Legion of Honour
- List of Legion of Honour recipients by name (V)
- Legion of Honour Museum
Additional Sources
- J. Creighton, Discopaedia of the Violin, 1889–1971, Toronto 1974
- S. Applebaum and H. Roth, The Way They Play, Book 10, Neptune/N.J. 1981
- W. Kiley, Ventures abroad, in: The Strad, Febr. 1987
- R. Noltensmeier, Geiger von Beruf, Kiel 1999
- T. Potter, A Fiery Philosopher, in: The Strad, April 2000
- N. Hornig, Spiegel des Lebens, in: FonoForum, Sept. 2001
