Laszlo Varga Archives

Conversation with Stephen Kates (September, 2002)

Interview by Tim Janof Stephen Kates studied with Gregor Piatigorsky, Leonard Rose, Claus Adam, Laszlo Varga, and Marie Roemaet-Rosanoff. He was awarded the Silver Medal at the Third International Tchaikovsky Competition in 1966 in Moscow, where he returned as the American juror in 1986. He has made solo appearances with the world's greatest orchestras in New York, Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, Detroit, Cincinnati, San Francisco, Atlanta, Baltimore, Leningrad, and Los Angeles. He is a former President of the Violoncello Society in New York. For seven summers he was a member of the faculty of the Music Academy of the West in Santa Barbara, California, and has taught at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore for almost 30 years. He has recorded for the RCA, Denon, Melodiya, Orion, CRI, and Bainbridge labels. [...]

By Tim Janof|2020-03-01T18:06:28-05:00October 27th, 2019|Categories: Internet Cello Society Archive, Interviews, In the Practice Room, Performance, Teaching|Tags: Tchaikovsky Competition, Boccherini, Laszlo Varga, Schumann Concerto, Leonard Rose, Piatagorsky, Stephen Kates, scales|

Conversation with Laszlo Varga (November, 2002)

Interview by Tim Janof Hungarian-American cellist Laszlo Varga has an international reputation as soloist, recording artist, and master teacher. He served as the Principal Cellist of the New York Philharmonic for 11 years under Dimitri Mitropoulos and Leonard Bernstein. Mr. Varga has appeared as soloist with orchestras across the USA, Europe, Japan, Australia, South America, and the former Soviet Union. He has been the featured soloist, chamber musician, and master teacher at the Aspen, Chautauqua, and Shreveport festivals, among others for over 40 years. He is highly praised for his numerous recordings on the Vox, RCA, Columbia, Decca, CRI, Period, and MusiCelli labels. Mr. Varga has premiered numerous pieces for solo cello and is eagerly sought after by composers to present their works. As cellist with the Borodin Piano Trio [...]

By Tim Janof|2020-03-01T18:17:56-05:00October 25th, 2019|Categories: Internet Cello Society Archive, Interviews, Orchestra, Performance|Tags: Laszlo Varga, New York Philharmonic, Borodin Trio, Leonard Bernstein, Janos Starker|

Laszlo Varga, Cellist for the New York Philharmonic, is Dead at 89

Laszlo Varga, Cellist for the New York Philharmonic, is Dead at 89 by Bruce Weber and Jacob Burg Reposted from the Herald-Tribune Laszlo Varga, a Hungarian-born musician and teacher who escaped a Nazi work camp to become principal cellist for the New York Philharmonic under the batons of Dimitri Mitropoulos and Leonard Bernstein, died on Dec. 11 at his home in Sarasota, Fla. He was 89. He died several days after a fall had precipitated a stroke, his son Michael said. In a long career, Mr. Varga applied his virtuosic skills to solo performances, orchestral playing and ensemble work. As a young man he lost his position as first-chair cellist of the Budapest Symphony in a purge of Jews. He came to the United States after World War II as a member [...]

By Blogmaster|2018-09-24T22:26:39-04:00January 10th, 2015|Categories: Artistic Vision, Chamber Music, Orchestra, Performance|Tags: Hungary, CelloBlog, Kent Nagano, Laszlo Varga, Nazi, Leonard Rose, cellobello, World War II|