The Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra and the Hungarian State Opera Choir will perform concerts, an exhibition will open and a prize bearing Ferencsik's name will be awarded at a ceremony at the Hungarian State Opera. The composer Emil Petrovics will speak at the ceremony.
On Friday, a wreath will be placed at Ferencsik's grave in the Farkasrét Cemetery. Afterward, a plaque will be unveiled at the conductor's former residence at Csopaki utca 12.
János Ferencsik was born on January 18, 1907. He earned his degree in musical composition and organ from the National Music School in 1927. Ferencsik found work at the Budapest Opera and made his conducting debut at the premiere of Rimsky-Korsakov's Scheherazade in 1930.
Ferencsik joined the Capital Orchestra (later the State Orchestra) in 1932 and conducted more than a thousand concerts with the ensemble. Under the fascist Arrow Cross regime, Ferencsik laid down his baton and took sick leave.
In 1945, Ferencsik became head of the Radio Orchestra, and in 1952 he was made musical director of the State Orchestra. He was appointed musical director of the Budapest Opera in 1957 and he served as chairman-director of the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra between 1960 and 1967.
Ferencsik was presented with the Kossuth Prize, Hungary's highest award for artists, in 1951 and again in 1961.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
