BIOGRAPHY

János Sebestyén, November 2003.

János Sebestyén was born on March 2, 1931 in Budapest, Hungary. He began his musical education at the National Conservatory, where his mother was on the piano faculty. His father was a prominent pedagogue and principal cellist of opera orchestras in Göteborg and Budapest. In 1950, while waiting for admission to the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, he joined the staff of the Hungarian Radio. Upon entering the Academy, he studied organ with János Hammerschlag and Ferenc Gergely, piano with István Antal and composition with Ervin Major and Ferenc Szabó. He graduated in 1955 with an organ diploma and later attended the harpsichord class of Zuzana Růžičková in Prague. As a soloist he performed throughout Europe, Asia and the United States, and made more than 80 recordings for a number of international labels. In 1970 he established the first harpsichord class at the Academy of Music, where he was professor until 2009. At the Hungarian Radio he was senior music producer from 1969-94, and from 1962-2007 he wrote and hosted a regular series of monthly broadcasts. His publications include a biography of Miklós Rózsa, Stories From My Life (1980), compiled from taped interviews with the composer, and Those Radio Years (1995), a history of the Hungarian Radio. He served as President of the Jury for the International Liszt Organ Competition in 1983, 1988 and 1993, and in 2000 for the First International Harpsichord Competition, Budapest. His awards in Hungary include the Erkel Prize in 1967, the Liszt Prize in 1974 and the title Artist of Merit in 1982. In August 2000 he was awarded the Officer's Cross by Hungarian president Ferenc Mádl in recognition of fifty years of service to the Hungarian Radio. International awards include the title Cavalier of the Italian Republic in 1984, the Portuguese title Grande Comendador of the Henrique Infante State Order in 1996 and in 1999 he was awarded the rank of Officer in the Isabella la Católica Order by King Juan Carlos I of Spain. In February 2000 he was awarded the title Cavalier of the Order of the Southern Cross by the Brazilian government, and in December of the same year he was appointed Officer in the Royal Order of the Nordic Star by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden. In recognition of his artistic achievements and his commitment to Italian-Hungarian cultural exchange, he was awarded the title Official of the Italian Republic in November 2003. He died in Budapest on February 4, 2012.

János Sebestyén with radio colleagues László Körmendy, Zdenkó Tamássy and Sándor Pintér, mid 1960s (above), Sebestyén performing on the Walcker organ at the Academy of Music, assisted by Zsigmond Kokits, mid 1970s (right).

János Sebestyén at the Hotel Fiorina in Santa Margherita Ligure, Italy, where he often met with composer Miklós Rózsa, early 1970s (left); Sebestyén receiving the title Artist of Merit from Imre Pozsgay, Hungarian Minister of Culture, 1982 (above).

Further information on János Sebestyén's career and the harpsichord revival in Hungary can be found
on the pages About This Site and A Short History of Harpsichord Playing in Hungary.