István Párkányi

The Hungarian violinist István Párkányi, born in Leipzig, started to play the violin at an age of seven. He studied at the Béla Bartók Conservatory in Budapest. Later he received the top prize there at the International Leo Weiner Music
Competition. In 1970 he continued his studies with Max Rostal in Cologne, and later became concertmaster of the Beethovenhalle Orchestra in Bonn and of the Kölner Kammerorchester in Cologne.

In 1975 he became first concertmaster of the Dutch Radio Chamber Orchestra and one year later a founding member of the Orlando Quartet, which he led to become a highly successful ensemble.
From 1984 until 2002 he was first concertmaster of the Dutch Chamber Orchestra, in addition to regular performances as a soloist and conductor. He is a professor at the Conservatory of Amsterdam.

István Párkányi plays on an instrument by Nicola Gagliano, Napoli 1750.