Recipients of Annie Fischer-, Zoltán Kodály- and Dezső Lakatos-Ablakos Scholarships Announced for 2015

In presenting the scholarships on 23 March 2015 in the Solti Hall of the Liszt Academy, Minister of State for Culture Péter Hoppál underlined that besides perseverance and daily practice, the milieu in which the young musicians can grow and unfold their talents is of utmost importance. To pursue a career in music, he said, is fortunate in the sense that compared to other, more monotonous activities, here you do not get tired of the daily practice so easily. “Conquer the world and remain Hungarian,” was his message to the scholarship winners in the closing of his speech.

This year the Annie Fischer Scholarship has been granted to violinist Sára Deák, the youngest member of the large and distinguished family of violinists from Szombathely; violinist László G. Horváth, a founder of Anima Musicae Chamber Orchestra; cellist Dénes Karasszon, who has earned a reputation among others as an early music performer; pianist Péter Kiss, who won the scholarship for the third time this year, and is acknowledged primarily as an outstanding interpreter of contemporary music. Further recipients of the Annie Fischer Scholarship include guitarist Miklós Környei and harpist Anastasia Razvaljajeva, who participated in the special talent program launched by the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music a few years ago, and have since founded their own chamber music ensemble; Bálint Kruppa and László Nyári, two promising violinists, who have also been active as string quartet members; and vocal artist Orsolya Sivák-Nyakas, who has, according to the experts, a brilliant career as an oratorio singer ahead of her. Furthermore, the scholarship has been awarded to Ádám Zsolt Szokolay, multiple prize winning pianist, a member of the fourth generation of the renowned family of musicians; Ágoston Tóka, Junior Prima Prize laureate organist, who will compete in several prestigious organ contests in the near future, performing among others his own arrangements and improvisations; and pianist Gergő Zoltán Varga.

Ádám Zsolt Szokolay collects the award from Péter Hoppál (Photo: MTI / Tamás Kovács)

The holders of the  Zoltán Kodály Scholarship are composers Balázs Alpár, Bálint Horváth, Ákos Lustyik and Árpád Solti, as well as musicologists András Ránki and Judit Zsovár. The 2015 Dezső Lakatos-Ablakos Jazz Scholarship has been granted to drummer Szilveszter Miklós, singer-pianist Tamara Mózes and saxophonist Sándor Lakatos. The Annie Fischer Scholarship for performance artists was established in 1998 by the then Ministry of Education and Culture; the following year it was extended to include jazz, dance, composition and musicology, as well as the various branches of fine and applied arts. The scholarship has a two-fold aim and significance: on the one hand, it provides career starters with an opportunity for public appearance; and on the other hand, it offers them regular financial support. The scholarship has a one-year term, and artists under the age of thirty can reapply for up to three times.

Congratulations to all the winners!