István Várdai Awarded the Artist of Merit Title

István Várdai Awarded the Artist of Merit Title

Internationally acclaimed Hungarian cellist István Várdai was born on November 12, 1985, in Pécs, Hungary. He began playing the cello at the age of eight at the Liszt Ferenc Music School under the guidance of Mária Mátrai. At eleven, he won his first national competition. He continued his studies at the Béla Bartók Conservatory, later graduating from the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in 2009 under László Mező. He then studied at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna with Reinhard Latzko, and continued his training at the Kronberg Academy under Frans Helmerson. In 2013, he joined the faculty of the Kronberg Academy, became a professor at the Mannheim University of Music in 2017, and since 2018 has led the cello department at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna.

Várdai has won numerous prestigious international competitions, including being a three-time winner of the David Popper International Cello Competition (2000, 2003, 2004), first prize at the International Johannes Brahms Competition (2006), the overall winner of the Geneva International Music Competition (2008), and first prize at the ARD International Music Competition (2014). In 2007, he won third prize at the International Tchaikovsky Competition. He received the Prix Montblanc in 2012 and, in 2024, was honored with the Artist of Merit Award by the Hungarian Government.
 

Throughout his career, Várdai has performed across the globe in cities such as New York, London, Paris, Prague, Vienna, Moscow, Tokyo, and Beijing. He has collaborated with distinguished conductors including Ádám Fischer, Zoltán Kocsis, and Mikhail Pletnev, and has appeared with major orchestras such as the Mariinsky Theatre Orchestra and the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. As a chamber musician, his partners have included Sir András Schiff, Emmanuel Pahud, Martin Fröst, Vadim Gluzman, Maxim Vengerov, Ilya Gringolts, David Fray, Denis Bouriakov, Roman Simovic, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Júlia Pusker, Gábor Boldoczki, Emőke Baráth, Kristóf Baráti, Gergely Madaras, Barnabás Kelemen, and Gábor Takács-Nagy.

Since 2015, he has served as the co-artistic director of the KaposFest International Chamber Music Festival alongside Kristóf Baráti. In 2020, he became the artistic director of the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra. Under his leadership, the ensemble has received international acclaim, performing with guest artists such as Andreas and Daniel Ottensamer, Sunwook Kim, and Leticia Moreno.
 

Várdai has also become widely recognized through his appearances as both a performer and jury member on Virtuózok, the classical music talent show dedicated to discovering and supporting young artists.

Among his recordings, highlights include his 2009 album featuring Elgar’s Cello Concerto and Prokofiev’s Cello Sonata; his 2014 CD showcasing both versions of Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations; and his acclaimed recording of Bach’s solo cello suites. In 2017, he recorded the complete cello works of Kodály for the Brilliant Classics label.
 

István Várdai currently plays the 1673 "Ex du Pré-Harrell" Stradivarius cello, once owned by the legendary Jacqueline du Pré. Stradivari crafted only 65 cellos, and this instrument—his first independently built cello following his apprenticeship—was purchased for Várdai by an anonymous German patron. The instrument’s value is estimated in the millions of dollars, with Stradivari cellos often fetching prices in the billions of Hungarian forints. That such a masterpiece has been entrusted to Várdai is a further testament to his stature in the world of classical music.

Honors and Awards:

• 2008 – Award of the March Youth

• 2009 – Junior Prima Award

• 2012 – Prix Montblanc

• 2015 – Liszt Ferenc Award

• 2017 – Prima Award

• 2020 – Ambassador of Hungarian Talent

• 2025 – Artist of Merit