Every musician can tell within fifteen minutes what kind of conductor has taken the podium. The fact that generation after generation of musicians continue to turn to Ádám Medveczky with unwavering enthusiasm proves that he performs his true vocation with humility, responsibility, and joy. His colleague, the composer Sándor Balassa, described him with these words: “He is a devoted supporter and representative of Hungarian culture and Hungarian music. He is surrounded in our country by immense respect and affection. Musicians and singers love him, the audience loves him, and so do the composers whose works he brings to the stage.”
The Beginnings
Family Background
He was born in 1941 into a family of musicians. He was a close relative of Mária Basilides, the world-famous alto singer. His mother, Mária Érsek, worked as a répétiteur at the Hungarian State Opera, accompanying not only “Aunt Manci” (Basilides) but also singers such as Tibor Udvardy, József Simándy, and Oszkár Maleczky. These and other vocal artists frequently visited their home near Boráros Square.
He lost his father at the age of four when the occupying Soviet army deported him for malenkij robot (forced labor). The place, time, and circumstances of his death remain uncertain. His mother later remarried the opera singer Lajos Katona. The family eventually grew to six members. His two brothers – András Medveczky, a horn player, and Balázs Medveczky, a commercial manager – have both passed away; his sister, Anikó Katona, is a member of the Hungarian State Opera.
The Timpanist
As a child, he became familiar with the magical world of music – especially opera – and with the fulfilling power of the human voice. The musical experiences he absorbed at home became a profound source of enrichment in later life. Though there was no family pressure on him to pursue music, his artistic vocation emerged quickly. From the age of fourteen, he devoured orchestral scores and, by high school, was memorizing them by heart.
While attending the Madách Secondary School, he studied piano and percussion, later graduating in both disciplines from the Liszt Academy of Music. His role model, percussionist Oszkár Schwartz, greatly influenced his career and musical convictions. It was Schwartz who helped him secure a position as timpanist with the Hungarian State Symphony Orchestra (conducted by János Ferencsik) from 1960 to 1968.
Among his many memorable experiences, perhaps the most noteworthy is that he played the timpani on the famous recording of the Hungarian National Anthem broadcast every New Year’s Eve at midnight throughout the 1960s and 70s. Ultimately, encouraged by his teachers and his own inner drive, he applied to the conducting program at the Liszt Academy in 1968.
Milestones of His Conducting Career
Artist of the Opera
From 1968 he studied conducting at the Liszt Academy, earning his diploma in 1971. The following year, he further refined his skills at a masterclass with the Italian composer-conductor Franco Ferrara. As a conductor, he learned the most from János Ferencsik – his former boss, though without his knowledge. Observing him countless times, he absorbed Ferencsik’s “pure conducting technique, which allows no randomness, no doubt, no confusion.”
At the invitation of András Kórodi, he gave up his secure, well-paid percussion position in 1969 to join the Hungarian State Opera. He began as a répétiteur. His big break came when he coached the soprano Erzsébet Házy, who, after just half an hour, demanded that “this Medve-boy” (“medve”: “bear”) should always accompany her. He later received his appointment as a conductor and debuted with Mozart’s Così fan tutte. Since then, he has conducted more than seventy operas, including numerous premieres, such as Sándor Balassa’s Földindulás (Earthquake), a music drama premiered in 2015.
From 1990 to 1993, he served as the Opera’s music director. On the fortieth anniversary of his service at the Opera, he received a unique honour from the orchestra: the Golden Baton. The gesture was a genuine recognition, as the musicians themselves conceived the idea, organized the event, and collected the money. Typically, such gifts are not given to conductors who are not in senior leadership positions.
In the 2010s, after his long operatic career, he was invited to collaborate with actress Lilla Pártai on a stage production about the life of Mihály Munkácsy. Although he had abandoned his youthful ambitions as a composer during his conservatory years, this project allowed him to give free rein to his imagination. He successfully assembled excerpts from Berlioz, Liszt, and Wagner – a combination that, according to critics, was a resounding success.
At the Helm of the Postal Orchestra
After numerous guest appearances, the cultural authorities decided in 1988 to entrust Ádám Medveczky with the Hungarian Postal Symphony Orchestra. The ensemble had a long history and rich tradition, but at the time of his appointment, it was in a difficult situation. Many of its members lacked formal conservatory training and, due to financial hardship, were forced to take on multiple side jobs. Within these limited financial means, the conductor had to achieve the internationally recognized level expected of the orchestra. By balancing pedagogical and artistic principles, he managed to save and elevate the ensemble, securing its right to survival. During this period of organizational and artistic rebuilding, the musicians experienced both the conductor’s expertise and his genuine affection – an essential factor in ensuring that the orchestra survived the recurring sponsorship crises of the following decade. Without his authentic leadership and care, the ensemble would have disbanded.
After the political transition, the Hungarian Post terminated its sponsorship. Consequently, the orchestra was reorganized at its Benczúr Street headquarters, adopting a new name: the Hungarian Symphony Orchestra. The ensemble gave many popular concerts, including beloved open-air summer performances such as suites from Handel’s Water Music. However, in 1997 a new sponsor agreed to support the orchestra only on the condition that Medveczky dismisses a significant number of its musicians. He firmly refused and was therefore compelled to leave the post himself.
The Győr Years
In 1997, the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra invited him to serve as principal conductor. During his collaboration with the ensemble, which lasted until 2011, he once again rebuilt and rejuvenated a symphony orchestra. His devoted workshop-style leadership led to an audible improvement in performance, and the orchestra developed its own distinctive artistic profile, which also revitalized the musical life of the city. After several successful tours abroad and performances in Budapest, however, the management gradually began to reduce the responsibilities associated with his title of principal conductor, until it became purely honorary. In the final years, he was allowed to conduct only a few subscription concerts per season. He eventually resigned voluntarily after an unworthy dispute surrounding the concert celebrating his seventieth birthday.
Repertoire
Naturally, it is impossible to list every work performed during a career spanning nearly half a century. The Hungarian State Opera’s records attempt to summarize the vast repertoire as follows: 70 operas (including 12 by Verdi, 4 by Mozart, 6 by Puccini, 7 by Wagner, etc.) and a large portion of the symphonic canon.
In one interview, Medveczky highlighted three major focal points of musical history as his personal favourites. The first group consists of the works of the Viennese classics – their operas, symphonies, masses, and concertos. The second group includes the great Italian operas, particularly the works of Verdi and Puccini, which he conducted countless times in Budapest, Győr, Miskolc, Szeged, and abroad.
The third group represents the conductor’s true credo: Hungarian music. He has placed special emphasis on the oeuvre of Bartók and Kodály, but he conducts the works of Ferenc Erkel, László Lajtha, and Sándor Veress with the same conviction. He has been a dedicated advocate for the performance of contemporary Hungarian music – sometimes with his baton, other times through words of encouragement. In one interview collection, he emphasized the significance of composers such as Sándor Balassa, László Dubrovay, Sándor Szokolay, and János Vajda. In the past decade, many living composers have owed him the insightful interpretation, paternal care, and ultimate success of their works.
A Conductor’s Legacy
The true breakthrough in his career came in 1974, when he won second prize at the First International Conducting Competition, bringing him widespread recognition. Television audiences quickly recognized him as the timpanist from the New Year’s Eve broadcast of the Hungarian National Anthem. Following that success, Hungarian Television recorded a new version of the anthem under his baton, which was broadcast every New Year’s Eve for the next fifteen years.
Another milestone was his performance of Madama Butterfly, conducted on his fortieth anniversary with the Hungarian State Opera. Contemporary critics praised his achievement:
“He kept full control over the orchestra, soloists, and chorus; not a single false note or mistimed entry could be heard. Every participant performed at their very best. The audience rewarded the conductor, the soloists, and the musicians with unending applause. The spectators left the Opera House – celebrating its 125th anniversary – deeply moved and fulfilled, because the performance was led by a knowledgeable and devoted conductor who felt humility and reverence toward the great composer and his work.” (Dr. Ágnes Petővári)
Another previously cited tribute also emphasizes the conductor’s humility and insight:
“His seemingly simple, almost unadorned conducting reveals the very essence of the work being performed. Through his eye contact and gestures, he clearly defines the performers’ tasks, ensuring that the music itself becomes the true protagonist. As a conductor, he is not the exploiter but the spiritual servant of the composition. He keeps his distance from all forms of flashy, self-serving showmanship, focusing his energy solely on the creation of pure art.” (Sándor Balassa)
The Professor
From 1974 onward, Ádám Medveczky led the Liszt Academy’s student orchestra alongside Albert Simon. In 1982 he became an adjunct professor, later an associate professor in the Department of Vocal and Opera Studies, and from 2004 he also began teaching in the Department of Accompaniment. Starting in January 2014, he taught in the Conducting Department together with András Ligeti. In 2015 he was appointed honorary university professor.
Through his teaching, he has devoted himself to training new generations of young musicians, ensuring that the masterpieces of European musical art continue to be performed at the highest artistic level – both on the opera stage and in concert halls. From his earliest years as a musician, he considered teaching a vocation, expressing this belief succinctly: “I find teaching the young uplifting.”
The essence of his approach is to help singers on stage feel the dramatic weight of a situation just as vividly as they understand the role of their vocal part within the overall musical texture. He places particular emphasis on the role of folk songs in vocal training, believing that Hungarian works can be sung most expressively when the performer respects the prosody and logic of Hungarian folk music. During vocal instruction, he continually guides students toward recognizing their true voice type and encourages them to build a conscious, coherent repertoire. Instead of seeking quick success through premature leading roles, he advises them to develop their vocal culture patiently and to accept new parts only after careful deliberation. He discusses in detail with his students when and how to approach major dramatic roles, ensuring that timing and readiness align.
As a teacher of conducting, he adheres to the principle that the essence of a conductor’s craft lies in “a warm heart and a cool head.” Even before joining the Academy’s faculty, he prepared numerous future conductors – including György Vashegyi, Domonkos Héja, and Gergely Kesselyák – for their entrance examinations. In some cases, he had to show them that understanding the music intellectually does not automatically mean to be able to perform it. Another common pitfall, he noted, is when someone desires only to lead the ensemble without truly feeling the music.
According to Medveczky, the unteachable secret of conducting is the union of humility toward the score, sensitivity to musical expression, genuine affection for the musicians, precise mathematical logic, and a consciously developed, strong leadership personality. As he explained in a previously cited interview collection:
“If one truly knows the craft, one can guide the orchestra without misunderstanding, expressing everything clearly through one’s hands – a ritardando, a change of tempo, a shift in character – that is the foundation. One must have proper technique and a clear beat...”
Any of his students, when asked, will highlight two qualities above all: his loving support and his uncompromising honesty.
Generations of singers owe him their long-lasting vocal health, their careers, and their ability to perform as part of an ensemble on stage.
Elements of His Creed
In one interview, when asked about his personal hierarchy of values, Medveczky defined it as follows:
“Faith, national identity, and family. Only after these comes one’s career.”
The Role of Faith Throughout a Life
He is a member of the Lutheran Church – just like Bach, Wagner, or Brahms, although he rarely refers to this connection himself. In the 1950s, his mother continued to send him to religious education, even though only eight parents in the entire 7th District’s intellectual community dared to do so at the time. During his years at the Academy of Music, his adult faith was born out of genuine inner fire. He began to believe when, at the age of 19 or 20, he had an unexpected encounter. He characterises that moment with a line by Endre Ady: “Quietly and unexpectedly, God embraced me.”
A father of five, he remains a practicing believer to this day. His wife and children are Catholic.
When he was admitted to the Music Section of the Hungarian Academy of Arts, he gave his inaugural lecture under the title “Faith in God and Music”. In it, he explored how the greatest composers related to God. Even in the works of the famously atheist Bartók (for instance, the Piano Concerto No. 3), reverence for the Heavenly Father can be discerned – just as in Beethoven’s Ode to Joy. As a conductor, he maintains that music does not possess metaphysics on its own, for it originates from God: “Music has magical power, but this power is sanctified only through faith.”
Political Disposition
Coming from a family that preserved and practiced traditional values, he was never indifferent to public affairs. Although he was never tempted by political power, as a conductor and later as an orchestra director he nevertheless had to exercise authority on several occasions. We have seen that he always stood up for his musicians and for the works he performed – on three occasions he chose to resign rather than sacrifice even one of his musicians. He always sought to serve power responsibly, exercising it as a moral duty.
His father’s tragic death and his mother’s conscious life of faith most likely destined him to stay true to the path he believed to be right, to preserve his honesty, and to fight for his values. In 1956, he joined the demonstrators marching along the Nagykörút (Grand Boulevard), Rákóczi Street, to the Parliament, to the statue of Jozsef Bem, and even to the Radio building. His later courage was also evident when he alone refused to join the Communist Youth League (KISZ) among his classmates.
His colleagues and superiors always knew that he openly professed both his faith and his national feeling. He expressed it this way: “The most important thing is where a person is born. The awareness of belonging is indispensable. The demand that art should be apolitical is an ideal – but a person cannot be apolitical, and neither can an artist detach themselves from politics.”
He was among the first, after 1989, to dare to conduct a commemorative concert for the 1956 Revolution. Later, after the turn of the millennium, he openly criticised the government’s social and cultural policies. His dissatisfaction with political leadership grew so strong that in 2006 he even stood as a parliamentary candidate representing two opposition parties.
Contemporaries judged his public engagement in two ways, but neither the negative nor the supportive reactions diverted him from his artistic work. His supporters lamented that despite his vast life’s work, he had not yet received the Kossuth Prize, and so in 2007 he was honoured with an alternative Kossuth Prize. In 2011, however, he finally received the official state Kossuth Prize as well.
Epilogue
Ádám Medveczky is one of the most significant Hungarian conductors of the post-Ferencsik János generation. He considers himself fortunate to have studied under János Ferencsik, András Kórodi and Miklós Erdélyi, and equally so to have pursued his career alongside the generation of János Kovács and Ádám Fischer. Through his consistency, artistic integrity, and love, countless performers, composers, and audiences have experienced moments of authentic musical truth.
[2016]