Biography

György Selmeczi was born in Kolozsvár (Cluj, Klausenburg) on March 8th 1952
Parents: Dr. János Selmeczi conductor, university tutor, conductor of the Cluj Hungarian Opera, Marcella Lokodi music pedagogue
Studies: Cluj (Sarolta Tulogdy, Mihály Guttmann, Miklós Szalay, Péter Vermesy), Bucharest (György Halmos, Tiberiu Olah), Budapest (Pál Kadosa), 1976-77, Paris, IRCAM (Pierre Boulez), Paris, CERIS, (Daniel Charles), 1979-1981
Conductor at the Cluj Hungarian Theatre, concerts, radio and TV records throughout Romania
1976-77: Assistant Professor, Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, Miskolc Department
1976: founder and leader of Miskolc New Music Workshop
1976-1992: composer of the music of more than 50 significant Hungarian motion pictures
1978: Musical Director at Huszonötödik Színház (Budapest) and Miskolc National Theatre, editor of Hungaroton
1980s: Musical Director - Budapest Várszínház (Castle Theatre) and József Attila Theatre
1987- : president of Mérték Association, founder of Projections Contemporary Opera Forum
1989: re-founded chamber orchestra Camerata Transsylvanica in Budapest.
1990-: Permanent guest conductor and director at the Kolozsvár Hungarian Opera
Founder and first director of Budapest Chamber Opera.
1996-2000: Musical Director - Szolnok Szigligeti Színház
Founder and art director of AURIS Opera Group
Head of Department at the University of Theatre and Film Art, Budapest, Musical Department.
2000-2002: Art Director of Millenáris Park and Culture Centre
2000-2008: Musical Director - Hungarian National Theatre.
2002-: Associate Professor (Docent), University of Theatre and Film Arts, from 2015 University Professor
2008-: Musical director, Csíky Gergely Theatre, Kaposvár
Radio, TV and CD records, opera movies, concerts and performances as composer, conductor, and pianist throughout Europe

Awards, Prizes

Artisjus Award for the best performance of contemporary music (1987, 1990, 2007)
Prize of the Budapest Film Revue for the best film soundtrack (1983, 1986)
Composer's Prize of the Kecskemét Animation Film Review (1995)
Erkel prize (1999)
Liszt Record Grand Prix for Liszt - Late works (orchestrated, arranged for orchestra and conducted by György Selmeczi) (CD) (2002)
Duna Prize (2008)
The Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Hungarian Republic (2010)
Lajtha Prize (2011)
Artist of Merit (2012)
Reményik Sándor Prize (2012)
Bartók-Pásztory Prize (2015)
Life Member at the Cluj Hungarian Opera (2015)
Kossuth Prize (2019)
The Nation's Artist (2024)

György Selmeczi