Ferencsik, János

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Ferencsik, János

Ferencsik, János, noted Hungarian conductor; b. Budapest, Jan. 18, 1907; d. there, June 12, 1984. He studied organ and theory at the Budapest Cons. He became repetiteur at the Hungarian State Opera (1927), and subsequently conductor there (from 1930). He was also an assistant at the Bayreuth Festivals (1930, 1931). He was chief conductor of the Hungarian Radio and Television Sym. Orch. (1945–52), the Hungarian State Sym. Orch. (1952–84), and the Budapest Phil. (1953–76); also appeared as a guest conductor in Europe and North America. He was awarded the Kossuth Prize (1951, 1961), and the Order of the Banner was bestowed upon him by the Hungarian government on his 70th birthday. He was a persuasive interpreter of the Hungarian repertoire.

—Nicolas Slonimsky/Laura Kuhn/Dennis McIntire

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