Zoltán Kocsis

Zoltán Kocsis (1952–2016) was a Hungarian pianist, conductor, and composer. He studied at the Béla Bartók Conservatory and the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. In 1970, he won the Hungarian Radio Beethoven Piano Competition, launching his international career. He collaborated with orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, and New York Philharmonic. In 1983, he co-founded the Budapest Festival Orchestra, and from 1997, he served as the music director of the Hungarian National Philharmonic. His recordings of Béla Bartók's complete piano works received international acclaim. He passed away on November 6, 2016, in Budapest.