Gábor Farkas

Gábor Farkas began his music studies at the age of five and holds an MA and DLA degree in piano performance and teaching from Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, Budapest. After the Liszt Academy he continued his studies with William Grant Naboré at the International Piano Academy Lake Como, in Italy.

His special talent is appreciated internationally: In 2009, he won the International Liszt Piano Competition in Weimar and the Audience's Prize and an award for best performance of a Haydn Sonata. In 2003 he received the first prize of the "Hungarian National Radio's Piano Competition", in 2001 he received 3rd prize in the International Liszt Piano Competition in Budapest, and in 2000 he was the winner of the "Bartók Béla Piano prize" in Baden bei Wien. In 2009 he received the "Gundel Art Prize", in 2008 he was given the "Junior Prima" prize and he was awarded a special state prize "The best young artist of the year". In 2012 he got the Franz Liszt Award (the highest Hungarian State Award for artists).

Farkas's uplifting performances have enchanted audiences throughout Europe and the world. During recent years he has performed in the most famous concert halls around the world: BOZAR in Brussels, Auditorio National de Musica in Madrid, Teatro la Fenice in Venice, Chatelet in Paris, NCPA Concert Hall in Beijing, Oriental Arts Center in Shanghai, Seoul Art Center in Seoul, Tokyo Bunka Kaikan in Tokyo and the Palace of Arts in Budapest. He was invited to prestigious international festivals, such as the "Budapest Spring Festival", the "International Piano Forum", Berlin, Schumann Festival, Zwickau, Pélerinages Festival in Weimar, Thüringen Bach Festival and the "Ferenc Liszt Festival" in the Castle of Gödöllo, Hungary.

In January 2011, Farkas was the soloist in the Official Opening Concert of the Liszt Year 2011, Zoltán Kocsis conducted the National Philharmonic Orchestra at the Palace of Arts, Budapest and he was also the soloist of the Closing Concert of the Chopin Year, in 2010 with the Sinfonia Varsovia. He has worked with such internationally known conductors as Ádám Fischer , Tamás Vásáry, Olli Mustonen, Philippe Bender and George Tchitchinadze.

Farkas's debut CD recording entitled An evening with Liszt was released on Warner Classics in 2008, which won the prestigious "Grand Prix" as the best Liszt recording of the year 2009 given by the Franz Liszt International Society. His second album was a live recording of the Official Opening Concert of the Liszt Year, 2011, with Zoltán Kocsis and the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra, also on Warner Classics. In 2017 Steinway & Sons released Farkas's Opera and Song for Solo Piano, arrangements of Verdi, Wagner, Gounod, Chopin and Schumann by Franz Liszt.