József Csócsi Lendvai
violin
He was born on the 21st October, 1944 in Ménfőcsanak. His father, József Csócsi Lendvai sr. was a well-known violinist, awarded with the Laurel wreath of the Hungarian Republic, and principal violinist of the Rajkó band. At the age of two and a half, young József grabbed a violin and tried to imitate his father’s moves. He began to play in the Rajkó band at the age of 10, and continued his studies there. In his early twenties, he founded his own band marked with his name and started a worldwide music tour. He became a member of the 100-member Gipsy Orchestra in 1985.
In 1998, he was awarded with the Golden Cross of Merit of the Hungarian Republic. He was elected vice-president of the 100-member Gipsy Orchestra in 2005. József presented a very successful concert at Carnegie Hall in New York, with Iván Fischer and the Budapest Festival Orchestra. He received several accolades for his artistic work in Germany and France. He still plays the violin he got from his father, and holds it in high esteem.