The orchestra's board on Tuesday unanimously voted to support a proposal to offer Peskó the job.
Peskó confirmed for the Hungarian News Agency that he had accepted the offer. Several impressive performances by the orchestra, the most recent of Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra under the baton of Zoltán Kocsis, convinced him to take the job. The decision was also made easier by the board's unanimous decision and their promise to give him free rein as head conductor.
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| Zoltán Peskó |
Peskó will replace Zsolt Hamar, who resigned in September, citing professional differences.
Peskó was born in Budapest in 1937. He graduated from the Liszt Academy of Music in 1962. From 1966 to 1969, he worked for the West Berlin Opera and Radio Orchestra, and later became conductor of the Deutsche Staatsoper. Peskó debuted at Milan's Scala in 1970, and he worked at Bologna's Teatro Comunale from 1974. He moved to the Teatro La Fenice between 1976 and 1977, then to the RAI orchestra in Milan in 1983. Peskó has become a highly regarded interpreter of operas and contemporary music. He has freelanced since 1984.
Peskó was presented a Bartók-Pásztory award in 2007.
