Erika Illési :

Born in 1971 in Jászberény (Eastern Hungary), Erika Illési started her musical studies first in Miskolc, later at the prestigious Franz Liszt Music Academy of Budapest. A prize winner of the Academy's Zathureczky, Hubay and Weiner competitions, still as a student he played in the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra and with a scholarship of Sándor Végh attended master-classes in Prague and Cracow. A frequent participant in different BFO productions, she was prize winner of the orchestra's Sándor Végh Competition in 2004.

Zsófia Lezsák:

Born in 1971 in Budapesten, Ms. Lezsák began to learn the violin at the age of six. In 1985 she was admitted to the preparatory class of the Bartók Musical Secondary School, her teacher was László Dénes. In 1987 she became member of the Erkel Chamber Orchestra where she is leader of the second violins. In 1990 she continued her studies at the Teachers' Training College of the Franz Liszt Music Academy, where as a student of György Répássy she obtained her diploma in 1990. She participated in master-classes of Dénes Zsigmondy and Ferenc Rados. Ms. Lezsák started to play in the Budapest Festival Orchestra in May 2001 and became member of the BFO in 2003.

József Rácz:

Born in 1980 in Jászberény (Eastern Hungary), he began to play the violin at the age of seven. In 1994 he was admitted to the Kodály Musical Secondary School of Kecskemét, in 1998 to the Franz Liszt Music Academy of Budapest, where his teachers were Mária Zs.Szabó and Leila Rásonyi. In 2000 he won 3rd Prize at the National Bach Competition. Since 1999 he has been regulary playing in the Weiner-Szász Chamber Symphony Orchestra. He attended master classes of Dénes Zsigmondy, György Pauk, Lóránd Fenyves, Imre Rohmann and Ferenc Rados. Following a successful audition, in October 2003 he became member of the Budapest Festival Orchestra.

Ágnes Csoma:

She was born in Budapest, in 1971. She was seven when she started to learn the violin. From 1985 she was student of the Béla Bartók Music School, where in the last year she changed from the violin to the viola. In 1990 she was admitted to the Franz Liszt Academy of Music where her teachers included György Konrád and László Bársony (viola), Sándor Devich, Ferenc Rados, György Kurtág and András Mihály (chamber music). She was member of the Dohnányi Youth Symphony Orchestra and played for several years in different chamber orchestras. She obtained her diploma in 1996 and has been ever since member of the Budapest Festival Orchestra: her Chair is supported by Associated Newspapers Holdings Ltd.

Jenõ Jandó:

Jenõ Jandó was born in Pécs (Hungary) in 1952. At the age of seven he started to study the piano. From 1968 he was a student at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, where his tutors were Katalin Nemes, Pál Kadosa and András Mihály. In 1973 he won first prize in the Hungarian Radio Piano Competition, after which prizes in further international competitions followed (Milan, Versailles, Sydney). He is one of the most active participants in Hungarian musical life, and a frequent guest in the great concert series of Europe, America and Japan. Since his recordings for the Hungaroton and Laserlight labels, he has been a soloist with Naxos for some years, and his several hundred recordings make him probably the busiest pianist in the recording market. He has been a frequent collaborator in the orchestral and chamber concerts of the Budapest Festival Orchestra. In February 2007 he was soloist in the orchestra’s concerts in Rome and Ferrara.

Violetta Eckhardt:

Violetta Eckhardt was born in Hungary in 1969. From 1983, she studied at the Gyõr Music Conservatory. At the age of 18 she won the National Youth Violin Competition and was admitted immidiately to the prestigious Franz Liszt Music Academy in Budapest, where she learned with Ferenc Halász (violin) and with György Kurtág, András Mihály and Ferenc Rados (chamber music). In 1992 she won first prize in the Zathureczky and Hubay Violin Competitions. In the same year she won a special award at the József Szigeti International Violin Competition. She has participated in masterclasses with Dénes Kovács, Isaac Stern, Ruggiero Ricci, György Pauk and Tibor Varga. Ms.Eckhardt is concert master of the Budapest Festival Orchestra and a regular participant in the BFO's chamber music concerts. In 2009 she was winner of the BFO's Sándor Végh Competition.

Gábor Sipos:

Gábor Sipos was born in Budapest in 1967. He started to learn the violin at the age of seven, with Erzsébet Skultéty, and continued later his studies in the Béla Bartók Secondary Music School and the Franz Liszt Music Academy of Budapest, where his professors included Natasha Tchernogolovkia (violin), Sándor Devich, András Mihály, György Kurtág and Ferenc Rados (chamber music). He participated in master-classes of György Pauk, Lóránt Fenyves, Endre Wolf and Tibor Varga.

He was prize winner at the Hubay Violin Competition in 1991 and obtained his diploma at the Franz Liszt Academy in the same year. He had been member of the Budapest Festival Orchestra between 1989 and 1995 and returned to the BFO again in 2005. Mr. Sipos was founding member of the Auer String Quartet and is member now of the Eckhardt String Quartet.

Rita Sovány:

Winner of two national violincello competitions at the age of 11 and 16, Rita Sovány pursued her studies later at the prestigious Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, with Miklós Perényi. Having obtained her diploma, she became member of the Budapest Festival Orchestra. Ms.Sovány is member of the Eckhardt String Quartet and also a regular participant of the BFO's chamber music series.

Balázs Vitályos: