The First Winners of the Scholarship Programme Launched by Liszt Academy’s Career Office

The Cultural Division of the Liszt Academy launches an artist management programme starting in 2014, which is designated to help the selected students set off their artistic careers and to introduce them into the Hungarian an international classical music scene. The scholarship programme, which was announced for the first time in October 2013, made application possible for those young musicians who had completed at least three academic years at one of the classical music departments of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music (including semesters finished at the Special School for Exceptional Young Talents), and had received an MA/DLA diploma no later than the summer of 2013.

The Career Office provides assistance to the winners of the scholarship in building their printed and online portfolios; creating their repertoires and concert programmes; contacting the media, concert organizers and artist agencies, and it also offers them performance opportunities at the Liszt Academy. Furthermore, the Office supports the students in applying for competitions, courses and auditions and in obtaining scholarships both in Hungary and abroad. Under the direction of Anna Sütő, the Office will manage students for 2 or not more than 5 years after the completion of their studies.

At the first audition, which was held on 3 December 2013 the applicants were evaluated by an application committee chaired by Zoltán Kocsis, including Andrea Vigh, János Rolla, Domonkos Héja, János Devich and Balázs Fülei as members. The winners of the 2013 scholarship programme, of whom we shall give a more detailed presentation on the Liszt Academy's website shortly, are as follows:

Ivett Gyöngyösi piano student

Ivett Gyöngyösi started learning piano at the age of 7 in her hometown Vásárosnamény, with Erzsébet Antalovszky. Four years later she was admitted to the Liszt Academy's Special School for Exceptional Young Talents, where her teacher was Attila Némethy. Since 2011 she has been studying at the Piano Department of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music under Kálmán Dráfi. She was only 10 years old when she won first prize at the National György Ferenczy Piano Competition, which was followed by a series of prestigious national and international awards. Most recently, the second year student of the Academy won the 10th Darmstadt International Chopin Piano Competition held between October 11-21, 2013. In the fall of 2013 she gave three performances in the Grand Hall of the reopened Liszt Academy.

Erzsébet Seleljo classical saxophonist

Erzsébet Seleljo completed her classical saxophone studies at the London Royal College of Music and the Konservatorium Privatuniversität Wien, and is currently the DLA student of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. She has won several prestigious national and international competitions. Her vast repertoire ranges from the masterpieces of classical saxophone literature to the works of contemporary Hungarian composers. In the summer of 2010 Erzsébet Seleljo was the first Hungarian saxophonist to play in the accompaniment of the Liszt Ferenc Chamber Orchestra.

Anastasia Razvalyaeva harpist

Born in Russia, Anastasia Razvalyaeva has lived in Hungary since 1993. She began learning the harp at the age of 7, with her mother, Natalia Gorbunova. One year later she continued her studies at the Liszt Ferenc Music Conservatory of Szeged under Melinda Felletár. In 2011 she received her MA diploma at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest, where she had been studying under Andrea Vigh. Of the nine international competitions in which she participated her most outstanding wins include the second prize at the 1999 International Chamber Music Competition in Arles, and the first prize at the 14^th International Competition of Young Musicians "Petar Konjovic" held in Belgrade in May 2009. In addition to her engagement in competitions, Anasztázia Razvaljajeva has followed a number of international master courses, and she regularly gives solo and chamber music concerts. In November 2010 she was among those four selected young musicians who won admission to the special talent programme organized by the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. In 2011 she received the Junior Prima Award. At present she is a DLA student on the Academy's doctoral programme. 

Nyári String Quartet (members: László Nyári – violin, Géza Szajkó – 2^nd violin, Dániel Krähling – viola, István Balázs – cello)

The Nyári String Quartet was formed by students of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in 2010. Studying chamber music under János Devich, the ensemble won two times at the National Ernő Dohnányi Chamber Music Competition, and they represented the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music at the Kyoto International Festival in 2012. The first violin László Nyári, who received his MA diploma as the student of Miklós Szenthelyi in the summer of 2013, was himself awarded with several competition wins. The string quartet participated in the 20^th International Johannes Brahms Competition Pörtschach in 2013, and earned the Special Award of the chamber music category. As part of the grand opening programme series held in October 2013, the ensemble performed in the renewed Grand Hall of the Liszt Academy.