Gregory Vajda
Encyclopedia
Gregory Vajda is a Hungarian
conductor
and composer
.
He was born in Budapest
. After attending the Béla Bartók
secondary school learning to play the clarinet
and to compose, he studied conducting at Franz Liszt Academy of Music with Ervin Lukács.
He has been resident conductor of the Oregon Symphony Orchestra since 2005. In 2008, Vajda was one of eight finalists chosen for the position of music director of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra
in Fort Wayne, Indiana
. Beginning in 2010, Vajda will serve as Music Director for Music In The Mountains
, a festival in Nevada City
/Grass Valley
, California
.
As a composer, recent performances have included a chamber opera
, Magic Mountain, presented at the 25th Davos Festival in Switzerland, 2010.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
conductor
Conducting
Conducting is the art of directing a musical performance by way of visible gestures. The primary duties of the conductor are to unify performers, set the tempo, execute clear preparations and beats, and to listen critically and shape the sound of the ensemble...
and composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
.
He was born in Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. After attending the Béla Bartók
Béla Bartók
Béla Viktor János Bartók was a Hungarian composer and pianist. He is considered one of the most important composers of the 20th century and is regarded, along with Liszt, as Hungary's greatest composer...
secondary school learning to play the clarinet
Clarinet
The clarinet is a musical instrument of woodwind type. The name derives from adding the suffix -et to the Italian word clarino , as the first clarinets had a strident tone similar to that of a trumpet. The instrument has an approximately cylindrical bore, and uses a single reed...
and to compose, he studied conducting at Franz Liszt Academy of Music with Ervin Lukács.
He has been resident conductor of the Oregon Symphony Orchestra since 2005. In 2008, Vajda was one of eight finalists chosen for the position of music director of the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra
Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra
The Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra is a professional orchestra based in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The current Music Director is Andrew Constantine, whose contract began July 1, 2009. The orchestra's Artistic Advisor from 2008 to 2009 was Jaime Laredo, a native of Bolivia...
in Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne, Indiana
Fort Wayne is a city in the US state of Indiana and the county seat of Allen County. The population was 253,691 at the 2010 Census making it the 74th largest city in the United States and the second largest in Indiana...
. Beginning in 2010, Vajda will serve as Music Director for Music In The Mountains
Music In The Mountains
Since 1982, Music in the Mountains has been a summer classical music festival that takes place in Nevada County, California. The current music director is Hungarian conductor, Gregory Vajda. Concerts take place in Grass Valley and Nevada City....
, a festival in Nevada City
Nevada City, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Nevada City had a population of 3,068. The population density was 1,399.7 people per square mile . The racial makeup of Nevada City was 2,837 White, 26 African American, 28 Native American, 46 Asian, 0 Pacific Islander, 40 from other races,...
/Grass Valley
Grass Valley
-Places:United States* Grass Valley, California, a city in Nevada County** Roman Catholic Diocese of Grass Valley, a former diocese based in the California city* Little Grass Valley, California, a former town in Plumas County...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
As a composer, recent performances have included a chamber opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
, Magic Mountain, presented at the 25th Davos Festival in Switzerland, 2010.