©Photo: Marco Borggreve

©Photo: Marco Borggreve

István Várdai

Cello / Conductor

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“His playing was commendable for its fluidity and virtuosity, distinguished by both a fleet-fingered lightness and a rich timbre.”
(Vivien Schweitzer, The New York Times)

Artistic Director: Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra

“His playing was commendable for its fluidity and virtuosity, distinguished by both a fleet-fingered lightness and a rich timbre.” (The New York Times) István Várdai is highly regarded for his joyous energy, rhythmic vigour, and elegant grace in his soulful renditions of solo, chamber music, and orchestral cello repertoire. In his fourth season as Artistic Director of Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, he continues to present inspiring and creative programmes. Alongside this, István welcomes world-renowned musicians at the Kapostfest Chamber Music Festival in Hungary and continues his soloist career with leading orchestras performing repertoire from Bach to Péter Eötvös.

In 2024/25 István Várdai debuts with Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia under Tugan Sokhiev’s baton playing Shostakovich Cello Concerto No.2 which he records with BBC Philharmonic and John Storgards earlier in the season. Another highlight is a tour of Belgium and Hungary with Royal Liege Philharmonic under Gergely Madaras playing Elgar’s Cello Concerto. István returns to NFM Wroclaw Philharmonic for a play/direct programme of Mozart, Haydn and conducts Beethoven Symphony No.2.

István Várdai and Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra welcome Lucienne Renaudin Vary, Roman Simovic and Zoltan Fejervari in Budapest for FLCO’s series at the Grand Hall of the Liszt Academy. International tours take them to Germany to Kronberg Academy and Mecklenburg Vorpommern Festival, Cremona to the Stradivari Festival and to Musikverein in Vienna where István Vardai directs Dvorak’s Cello Concerto from the cello.

As a passionate chamber musician, István Várdai has played with Víkingur Ólafsson, András Schiff, Yuri Bashmet, Gidon Kremer, Jean-Efflam Bavouzet, Mischa Maisky, Elisabeth Leonskaja and Liza Ferschtman at some of the world’s leading venues.

The programme for IstvánVardai’s latest album Szinegia celebrates the rhythms and folk traditions of composers such as Bartok, Hartmann, Kodaly and Weiner. István Vardai worked closely with clarinetist Pablo Barragan and Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra on the concept and the album is released from Accentus label. Over the years, István Várdai’s has recorded Janáček, Prokofiev and Elgar’s Cello Concertos on Ysaÿe Records, and his recording of Bach’s solo cello suites on Brilliant Classics has received critical acclaim. István Várdai is the subject of a new documentary “VÁRDAI — non SOLO CELLO” directed by Eszter Száraz and produced by TRIONFilm.

Following success on the competition circuit, including first prizes at the 2014 ARD International Music Competition and at the 2008 Geneva International Music Competition, István Várdai served on the jury of the International Tchaikovsky Competition in 2019. He has been teaching at University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna where he succeeded the late Heinrich Schiff in the role, and where he himself studied in 2005. István Várdai plays on ‘Ex du Pré-Harrell’ Stradivari made in 1673, previously played by Jacqueline du Pré.

István Várdai: J.S. Bach: 6 Suites for Cello Solo (Full Album) © Brilliant Classics

István Várdai: Schumann Cello Concerto © zenebaratful

István Várdai: Mendelssohn: c-moll zongoratrió Op.66 No.2 © KAPOSFEST

István Várdai: Kodály Zoltán: Duó hegedűre és csellóra Op.7 © KAPOSFEST

“The solo part has often been declared unplayable, and so it is, except in the case of an artist so prodigiously gifted as Várdai, who delivered the greatest performance in a concerto I have ever witnessed. His virtuosity at the cello defied belief, and left the audience rubbing its eyes and shaking its heads in wonder. Difficulties were not overcome, they were atomized. He negotiated Prokofiev’s extravagant demands with careless ease, never losing his focus on the emotional and intellectual purpose of the music. As thrilling as his execution was of the work’s many virtuoso passages, it was his rendition of the rapturous lyricism at the heart of the second movement that sticks most stubbornly in the memory, never to be dislodged.”

(The Spokesman, Rebecca Fay, April 2019)

“This latest recital (in the Utzon chamber music series) was as much about the instrument as the brilliant cellist playing it. […] For the Bach suite Várdai’s natural style, impeccable intonation and beauty of line brought out all the playful nuances… An artist from whom we shall be hearing a great deal more.”

(Limelight, July 2018)

“Where other cellists might struggle with the low writing, as on the sustained pedal notes of the Prelude, Várdai’s tone glowed with oaky complexity.”

(Washington Post)

“His performance was a knockout punch for a hometown hero as much as for the unveiling of a precious instrument with an illustrious provenance.”

(Bachtrack, December 2016)

“his playing is very modern, yet it still conjures up a link to old world traditions.”

(Seen and Heard, November 2016)

“he showed exceptional dexterity in the suites of Bach”

(The Irish Times, August 2015)

“His playing was commendable for its fluidity and virtuosity, distinguished by both a fleet-fingered lightness and a rich timbre.”

(New York Times, May 2014)