The Edinburgh Orchestral Ensemble's Autumn 2010 concert will include a performance of Walton's Viola Concerto by the Hungarian violist Enikő Magyar.
Praised by Yuri Bashmet, Atar Arad and others for her musicality, passion and technique, Enikő Magyar is the most exciting and imaginative violist to have emerged from Hungary in recent years. After giving her solo debut with orchestra at the age of 13 and winning the 1st prize at the Franz Liszt Academy`s violin competition at 17 she gave concerts and recitals in Germany, Romania and Hungary.
After graduating Summa Cum Laude from the Franz Liszt Academy Enikő was awarded a full scholarship to study at the Royal Academy of Music, London, with Martin Outram. During her studies she was awarded the Theodore Holland Viola Prize and received the 2nd prize at the NYOS Staffa Awards in Glasgow, Scotland. Her recently released debut CD "The English Viola" by Naxos is acclaimed by the press, praising Enikő for her "exemplary intonation, clean articulation and her ready kinship with the British music idiom".
Prize winner of several international competitions Enikő enjoys a varied career as a soloist and chamber musician. She has performed as soloist with major orchestras throughout Hungary, Russia and Poland and has appeared in restigious music festivals such as the Verbier Academy, IMS Prussia Cove, Academia Musica de Santander, the Budapest Spring Festival, Young Praha Festival, Cork Chamber Music Festival and in venues such as Wigmore Hall, Musikverein, St. John`s, Smith Square, Conway Hall and King`s Place.
As well as appearing as a soloist, she has performed as a chamber musician with artists such as Reiner Zepperitz, Marta Gulyas, Ian Fountain, Vladimir Mendelssohn, Paul Silverthorne and others. A passionate teacher, Enikő was one of the main coaches at the Verbier Amateur Chamber Music Festival in 2007, as well as coaching chamber music at the Royal Academy of Music in the academic year of 2008/2009.
Strongly committed to perform contemporary music and to expand the viola repertoire, Enikő inspired many composers to write for her, including Ian Wilson, Paul Patterson, Patrick Harrex, Sebastian Rapacki to name a few. Radio and television broadcasts include BBC Radio 3, Minnesota Public Radio, Bartok Radio, Romanian National Radio and the Hungarian State Television.
Enikő plays a Giovanni Grancino viola c 1700, which is kindly loaned to her by the Royal Academy of
Music.