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The British conductor of Hungarian birth, László [Laszlo] István Heltay, studied conducting and composition at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest under Zoltán Kodály and Bardos, obtaing his Bachelor of Music degree. He moved to England in 1957, became a British citizen, and continued his studies at Metton College, Oxford, obtaining M. Litt degree (1960-1964), where he later became Director of Music and Founder/Director of the Schola Cantorum of Oxford (1960-1964).
In 1964, László Heltay went to New Zealand to take up the posts of Associate Conductor of the the New Zealand Broadcasting Corporation (NZBC) Symphony Orchestra (1964-1965) and Musical Director of the New Zealand Opera Company (1964-1966), where he gave many first performances of contemporary works including the first New Zealand performance of Benjamin Britten's Albert Herring. On his return to London he was appointed conductor of the Phoenix Opera Company (1967-1969), and gave the first performance in France of B. Britten's The Turn of the Screw and the first performance in New York of Ottorino Respighi's Lucrezia. He also worked as assistant to Otto Klemperer. He was also conductor of Collegium Musicum of London (from 1970)
In November 1967 Laszlo Heltay was invited to form a choir for the Brighton Festival which was planning a performance of William Walton's Belshazzar's Feast to be conducted by Sir W. Walton on May 11, 1968. The performance was a huge success and launched Brighton Festival Chorus as an important part of the music scene in Britain and, under Laszlo's directorship, one of the most successful choirs in the country. He remained Brighton Festival Chorus' Music Director for the following 27 years during which time the Chorus formed long and close associations with a number of leading orchestras and conductors including the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Andre Previn, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Lord Yehudi Menuhin who was the Chorus' President until his death. Highlights of these years include a memorable J.S. Bach's B Minor Mass (BWV 232) with Karl Richter, Zoltán Kodály's Psalmus Hungaricus with Istvan Kertesz for Decca and many concerts and recordings with Antal Doráti.
László Heltay was Music Director of the Chorus of the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields which he founded in 1975, until May 1999. He was Music Director of the Royal Choral Society from 1985 until 1994. In 1997, he was appointed Director of the Spanish Radio and Television Choir and as guest conductor with the orchestra he conducted performances of B. Britten's War Requiem and J.S. Bach's St Matthew Passion (BWV 244)
Throughout his distinguished career László Heltay conducted most majors orchestras in the UK as well as many others in Europe and the USA, including the Philharmonia Orchestra, Dresdner Philharmonie, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Dallas Symphony Orchestra and the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra. He also conducted many radio orchestras and choirs including those of Brussels, Hamburg, Stuttgart (SWR Vokalensemble Stuttgart), Madrid, Budapest and Stockholm. He conducts regularly at major European and International Festivals.
László Heltay was Director of Music at Gardner Centre in Sussex University (from 1968). His conducting master-classes in Britain, Spain and Hungary attract students from all over the world.
László Heltay made recordings for CBS, Argo, Decca and Nimbus and was Chorus Director for the film "Amadeus" with the Academy St Martin in the Fields. He also recorded with them Paco Pena's Misa Flamenca.
Laszlo Heltay was a British citizen, but after 38 years living in England, he moved in the 1990's to Spain, near his favourite city, Barcelona. He lived in Barcelona for several years where he was closely involved with the Madrid Radio Choir as well as continuing a busy schedule of conducting and master-classes for young choral conductors in Europe and the USA. Latterly he returned to live his hometown Budapest, where he died of cancer on December 17, 2019.
In 1982 László Heltay was awarded the International Kodaly Medal. In 1995 the degree of Honorary Doctor of Music was conferred upon him by Sussex University. In 1997 he became an Honorary Fellow of Merton College, Oxford. |
