János Sebestyén (2 March 1931 – 4 February 2012) was a Hungarian

organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

harpsichordist A harpsichordist is a person who plays the harpsichord. Harpsichordists may play as soloists, as accompanists, as chamber musicians, or as members of an orchestra, or some combination of these roles. Solo harpsichordists may play unaccompanied son ...

pianist A pianist ( , ) is a musician who plays the piano. A pianist's repertoire may include music from a diverse variety of styles, such as traditional classical music, jazz piano, jazz, blues piano, blues, and popular music, including rock music, ...

and

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Biography

János Sebestyén was born in

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

, where both of his parents were prominent musicians and educators. His father, Sándor Sebestyén (1891–1962), studied cello with Adolf Schiffer and

Arnold Földesy Arnold may refer to: People * Arnold (given name), a masculine given name * Arnold (surname), a German and English surname Places Australia * Arnold, Victoria, a small town in the Australian state of Victoria Canada * Arnold, Nova Scotia U ...

and was the author of several pedagogical works. His mother, Rózsi Mannaberg (1895–1986), studied piano with Arnold Székely and

Wilhelm Backhaus Wilhelm Backhaus ('Bachaus' on some record labels) (26 March 1884 – 5 July 1969) was a German pianist and pedagogue. He was particularly well known for his interpretations of Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Chopin and Brahms. He was also much adm ...

. His formal musical education began in 1946 at the State Music Secondary School as a student of pianist

István Antal István Antal (18 February 1896 – 11 October 1975) was a Hungarian politician, who served as Minister of Religion and Education and as Minister of Justice in 1944. Born in Kenderes, he knew Miklós Horthy from here, who was born here like ...

, organist János Hammerschlag and composer Ervin Major. He continued his studies with organist Ferenc Gergely and composer Ferenc Szabó at the

Franz Liszt Academy of Music The Franz Liszt Academy of Music (, often abbreviated as ''Zeneakadémia'', "Liszt Academy") is a music university and a concert hall in Budapest, Hungary, founded on November 14, 1875. It is home to the Liszt Collection, which features several ...

and graduated there with an organ diploma in 1955. He later attended the harpsichord class of

Zuzana Růžičková Zuzana Růžičková () (14 January 1927 – 27 September 2017) was a Czech harpsichordist. An interpreter of Classical music, classical and Baroque music, baroque music, Růžičková was the first harpsichordist to record Johann Sebastian Bach' ...

in Prague. His concert tours as organ and harpsichord soloist took him to Russia, India, the Philippines, Taiwan, Japan, the United States and nearly every country in Europe. In 1970 he established the first harpsichord class at the

. He was invited to serve on juries for organ and harpsichord competitions in France, the Czech Republic, Poland, Italy and Switzerland. In Hungary he served as president of the jury for the International Liszt Organ Competition in 1983, 1988 and 1993, and at the 1st International Harpsichord Competition, Budapest, in 2000. From 1950 on, he worked for

Hungarian Radio Hungarian may refer to: * Hungary, a country in Central Europe * Kingdom of Hungary, state of Hungary, existing between 1000 and 1946 * Hungarians/Magyars, ethnic groups in Hungary * Hungarian algorithm, a polynomial time algorithm for solving the ...

in various capacities, serving as senior music producer between 1969 and 1994, and from 1962 until 2007 he contributed a regular series of programs documenting culture, politics and history. During his last years he contributed a monthly program to Hungarian Catholic Radio. He made recordings for Qualiton,

Hungaroton Hungaroton is the oldest record and music publisher company in Hungary. Hungaroton was founded in 1951, when its only competitors in the Hungarian music market were record labels like Melodiya, Supraphon and from other socialist countries. P ...

, Turnabout, CBS International,

Naxos Naxos (; , ) is a Greek island belonging to the Cyclades island group. It is the largest island in the group. It was an important centre during the Bronze Age Cycladic Culture and in the Ancient Greek Archaic Period. The island is famous as ...

and other record labels.

Awards

* Erkel Prize, 1967 (Hungary) * Liszt Prize, 1974 (Hungary) * Artist of Merit, 1982 (Hungary) *

Grand Prix du Disque Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor Places * Grand, Oklahoma, USA * Grand, Vosges, village and commune in France with Gallo-Roman amphitheatre * Grand County (disambiguation), ...

for the

publication ''Bartók Record Archives'', 1982 (France) * Cavalier of the Italian Republic, 1984 (Italy) * Grande Comendador of the Henrique Infante State Order, 1996 (Portugal) * Officer of the Isabella la Católica Order, 1999 (Spain) * Cavalier of the

Order of the Southern Cross The National Order of the Southern Cross () is a Brazilian Orders, decorations, and medals of Brazil, order of chivalry founded by List of monarchs of Brazil, Emperor Pedro I of Brazil, Pedro I on 1 December 1822. The order aimed to commemorate ...

, 2000 (Brazil) * Officer of the Royal Order of the Nordic Star, 2000 (Sweden) * Officer's Cross, 2000 (Hungary) * Ufficiale of the Italian Republic, 2003 (Italy)

Publications

* ''Rózsa Miklós: Életem történeteiből'' (

Miklós Rózsa Miklós Rózsa (; April 18, 1907 – July 27, 1995) was a Hungarian-American composer trained in Germany (1925–1931) and active in France (1931–1935), the United Kingdom (1935–1940), and the United States (1940–1995), with extensi ...

: Stories From My Life), Zeneműkiadó, Budapest, 1980; * ''Azok a rádiós évtizedek... / ...és azok a rádiós évek'' (Those Radio Decades... / ...Those Radio Years), co-authored with

Jenő Randé Jenő () is a Hungarian male given name, equivalent to Eugene. In Austria and Germany the name is often simplified to Jenö (which in Hungarian is a shorter vowel) and pronounced as German umlaut ö. Jenő is also the legendary founder of one of H ...

, Ajtósi Dürer Kiadó, Budapest, 1995;

Recordings

János Sebestyén's discography spans most of the keyboard repertoire, from works by

renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

composer Valentin Bakfark through those by contemporary composers including Frank Martin and

Paul Hindemith Paul Hindemith ( ; ; 16 November 189528 December 1963) was a German and American composer, music theorist, teacher, violist and conductor. He founded the Amar Quartet in 1921, touring extensively in Europe. As a composer, he became a major advo ...

. More than 80 LP and CD recordings have been published by various labels including Angelicum, Ariston,

Balkanton Balkanton () was a state-owned record manufacturing company in Bulgaria founded in 1952. Many of the produced records were, or still are available in the countries of the former Eastern Bloc. Balkanton's plant in Sofia was equipped for all aspec ...

, BAM, Il Canale, CBS Italiana, Fonit Cetra,

Supraphon Supraphon Music Publishing is a Czech record label, oriented mainly towards publishing classical music and popular music, with an emphasis on Czech and Slovak composers. History The Supraphon name was first registered as a trademark in 1932. Th ...

, and Vox. Highlights: *

: Organ Sonatas Nos. 1 and 3 – Angelicum LPA 5963 * J. S. Bach: Concertos after

Alessandro Marcello Alessandro Ignazio Marcello (; 1 February 1673 – 19 June 1747) was an Italian nobleman and composer. Biography Born in Venice, Marcello was the son of a senator, and as a member of the noble Marcello family, enjoyed a comfortable life that ...

Georg Philipp Telemann Georg Philipp Telemann (; – 25 June 1767) was a German Baroque composer and multi-instrumentalist. He is one of the most prolific composers in history, at least in terms of surviving works. Telemann was considered by his contemporaries to b ...

, etc. – Angelicum STA 9015 * ''Melodie di Natale'' ( Domenico Zipoli,

Girolamo Frescobaldi Girolamo Alessandro Frescobaldi (; also Gerolamo, Girolimo, and Geronimo Alissandro; September 15831 March 1643) was an Italian composer and virtuoso keyboard player. Born in the Duchy of Ferrara, he was one of the most important composers of ke ...

, etc.) – Angelicum STA 9018 *

Joseph Haydn Franz Joseph Haydn ( ; ; 31 March 173231 May 1809) was an Austrian composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He was instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the string quartet and piano trio. His contributions ...

: Six

Esterházy The House of Esterházy, also spelled Eszterházy (), is a Hungarian nobility, Hungarian noble family with origins in the Middle Ages. From the 17th century, the Esterházys were the greatest landowner magnates of the Kingdom of Hungary, durin ...

Sonatas – BAM LD 6000 *

Andrea Lucchesi Andrea Luca Luchesi (also spelled Lucchesi; 23 May 1741 – 21 March 1801) was an Italian composer. He knew Mozart and Beethoven. Biography Andrea Luchesi was born at Motta di Livenza, near Treviso the eleventh child of Pietro Luchese and Cater ...

: Twelve Organ Sonatas – IL Canale FC U09-10 * J. S. Bach: Harpsichord Toccatas – CBS Italiana/Odissea S 54079 *

Bernardo Pasquini Bernardo Pasquini (7 December 1637 – 21 November 1710) was an Italian composer of operas, oratorios, cantatas and keyboard music. A renowned virtuoso keyboard player, he was one of the most important Italian composers for harpsichord between Gir ...

: Organ Works – Fonit Cetra/Italia ITL 70062 * ''Harpsichord Recital'' ( J. S. Bach,

Sergei Prokofiev Sergei Sergeyevich Prokofiev; alternative transliterations of his name include ''Sergey'' or ''Serge'', and ''Prokofief'', ''Prokofieff'', or ''Prokofyev''. , group=n ( – 5 March 1953) was a Russian composer, pianist, and conductor who l ...

, Frank Martin,

Emil Petrovics Emil may refer to: Literature *''Emil and the Detectives'' (1929), a children's novel *"Emil", nickname of the Kurt Maschler Award for integrated text and illustration (1982–1999) *''Emil i Lönneberga'', a series of children's novels by Astr ...

) – Hungaroton LPX 1181 *

Jean-Philippe Rameau Jean-Philippe Rameau (; ; – ) was a French composer and music theory, music theorist. Regarded as one of the most important French composers and music theorists of the 18th century, he replaced Jean-Baptiste Lully as the dominant composer of ...

Pieces de Clavecin en Concerts Piece or Pieces (not to be confused with peace) may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Games * Piece (chess), pieces deployed on a chessboard for playing the game of chess * Pieces (video game), ''Pieces'' (video game), a 1994 puzzle game f ...

– with flautist Lóránt Kovács and cellist

László Mező László () is a Hungarian male given name and surname after the King-Knight Saint Ladislaus I of Hungary (1077–1095). It derives from Ladislav, a variant of Vladislav. The name has a history of being frequently anglicized as Leslie. It is the m ...

– Hungaroton SLPX 11453 *

: Five Divertimenti – with members of the

Tátrai Quartet The Tátrai Quartet was a Hungarian classical string quartet founded in 1946. For the half-century after World War II it was one of the foremost string quartets in Hungary, specializing in Haydn and Bartók, whose complete quartets it recorded for ...

– Hungaroton SLPX 11458 *

Arcangelo Corelli Arcangelo Corelli (, also , ; ; 17 February 1653 – 8 January 1713) was an List of Italian composers, Italian composer and violinist of the middle Baroque music, Baroque era. His music was key in the development of the modern genres of Sonata a ...

: Violin Sonatas – with violinist

Dénes Kovács Dénes Kovács (18 April 1930 – 11 or 14 February 2005) was a Hungarian classical violinist and academic teacher, described as "pre-eminent among Hungarian violinists". He won the Carl Flesch International Violin Competition in 1955. In his care ...

– Hungaroton SLPX 11514-15 * J. S. Bach: Sonatas for Harpsichord – Hungaroton SLPX 11613 * ''Harpsichord Concertos'' (

Domenico Cimarosa Domenico Cimarosa (; 17 December 1749 – 11 January 1801) was an Music of Italy, Italian composer of the Neapolitan School and of the Classical period (music), Classical period. He wrote more than eighty operas, the best known of which is ''Il ...

Carlos Seixas José António Carlos de Seixas (; 11 June 1704 – 25 August 1742) was a pre-eminent Portuguese composer of the 18th century. An accomplished virtuoso of both the organ and the harpsichord, Seixas succeeded his father as the organist for Coimbr ...

) – led by

János Rolla János is a masculine Hungarian given name. It originates from the Hebrew name Johanan and is thus a variant of the English name John. People Notable people with the name include: * János Aczél (mathematician) (1924–2020), Hungarian-Ca ...

– Hungaroton SLPX 12392 *

George Frideric Handel George Frideric (or Frederick) Handel ( ; baptised , ; 23 February 1685 – 14 April 1759) was a German-British Baroque composer well-known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi, and organ concerti. Born in Halle, Germany, H ...

: Violin Sonatas – with violinist

György Pauk György Pauk (26 October 1936 – 18 November 2024) was a Hungarian violinist, chamber musician and music pedagogue. Biography Pauk was born on 26 October 1936 in Budapest, Hungary, the son of Imre Pauk and Magda (nee Lustig). His father was a ...

– Hungaroton SLPD 12657-58 *

Johann Adolph Hasse Johann Adolph Hasse (baptised 25 March 1699 – 16 December 1783) was an 18th-century German composer, singer and teacher of music. Immensely popular in his time, Hasse was best known for his prolific operatic output, though he also composed a co ...

: Six Organ Concertos – Hungaroton HCD 31738 * ''Music for Two Organs'' (

Daniel Steibelt Daniel Gottlieb Steibelt (22 October 1765) was a German pianist and composer. His main works were composed in Paris and in London, and he died in Saint Petersburg, Russia. He once challenged and lost to Ludwig van Beethoven in a piano duel. Bi ...

Muzio Clementi Muzio Filippo Vincenzo Francesco Saverio Clementi (23 January 1752 – 10 March 1832) was an Italian-British composer, virtuoso pianist, pedagogue, conductor (music), conductor, music publisher, editor, and piano manufacturer, who was mostly ac ...

, etc.) – with organist Miklós Spányi – Hungaroton HCD 32167 *

W. A. Mozart Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (27 January 1756 – 5 December 1791) was a prolific and influential composer of the Classical period (music), Classical period. Despite his short life, his rapid pace of composition and proficiency from an early age ...

: Organ Music – Naxos 8.550514 * J. S. Bach: Inventions and Sinfonias – Naxos 8.550679 *

Various Composers Various may refer to: * Various (band), an English dubstep/electronic music duo * Various artists, a term for a compilation album containing pieces by various musicians * Various authors, a book containing works by several writers * ''The Various' ...

: Organ Meditation – Naxos 8.550791 *

João de Sousa Carvalho João de Sousa Carvalho (22 February 1745c. 1798) was the foremost Portuguese composer of his generation. Born in Estremoz, he studied music from 1753 at the Colégio dos Santos Reis in Vila Viçosa, then from 1761 at the Conservatório di Sa ...

: Harpsichord Works – Portugalsom 860006 * J. S. Bach: Concertos for Two, Three, and Four Harpsichords – with harpsichordist

et al. – Supraphon 1110 4391-92 * ''Polish Renaissance Music for Harpsichord and Organ'' ( Jakob Polak,

Wojciech Długoraj Wojciech Długoraj (c. 1557 - after 1619), also called Wiecesław Długoraj, Adalbert Długoraj and Gostinensis, was a Polish Renaissance composer and lutenist. Biography His birthplace is unknown, with Polish Gostyń and Ukrainian Gostynets a ...

etc.) – Vox/Candide CE 31019 * ''Hungarian Dances for Harpsichord'' ( Valentin Bakfark, Johann Babnik, etc.) – Vox/Candide CE 31032 * J. S. Bach: Six Concertos after

Antonio Vivaldi Antonio Lucio Vivaldi (4 March 1678 – 28 July 1741) was an Italian composer, virtuoso violinist, impresario of Baroque music and Roman Catholic priest. Regarded as one of the greatest Baroque composers, Vivaldi's influence during his lif ...

– Vox/Turnabout TV-S 34287 * ''Harpsichord Concertos'' (

Johann Georg Albrechtsberger Johann Georg Albrechtsberger (3 February 1736 – 7 March 1809) was an Austrian composer, organist, and music theorist, widely regarded as one of the leading figures in counterpoint and composition theory during the Classical period. He was a prol ...

Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf Carl Ditters von Dittersdorf (2 November 1739 – 24 October 1799) was an Austrian composer and violinist. He was a friend of both Haydn and Mozart. (webpage has a translation button) His best-known works include the German singspiel '' Doktor un ...

, etc.) – led by

Vilmos Tátrai Vilmos Tátrai (7 October 1912 – 2 February 1999) was a Hungarian classical violinist and the founder of the Tátrai Quartet. Life Tátrai was born in Kispest, now 19th district of Budapest. A professor at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, he ...

– Vox/Turnabout TV-S 34325 *

Franz Liszt Franz Liszt (22 October 1811 – 31 July 1886) was a Hungarian composer, virtuoso pianist, conductor and teacher of the Romantic music, Romantic period. With a diverse List of compositions by Franz Liszt, body of work spanning more than six ...

: Complete Organ Music – Vox Box SVBX 5328-29 *

Henry Purcell Henry Purcell (, rare: ; September 1659 – 21 November 1695) was an English composer of Baroque music, most remembered for his more than 100 songs; a tragic opera, Dido and Aeneas, ''Dido and Aeneas''; and his incidental music to a version o ...

: Complete Works For Harpsichord – Vox Box SVBX 5481 János Sebestyén participated in many recordings for

. Highlights: * J. S. Bach: Six Sonatas for Violin and Harpsichord – with violinist

János Decsényi János is a masculine Hungarian given name. It originates from the Hebrew name Johanan and is thus a variant of the English name John. People Notable people with the name include: * János Aczél (mathematician) (1924–2020), Hungarian-Ca ...

: Divertimento for Harpsichord and Chamber Orchestra – conducted by

György Lehel György () is a Hungarian version of the name '' George''. Some notable people with this given name: * György Alexits (1899–1978), Hungarian mathematician * György Almásy (1867–1933), Hungarian asiologist, traveler, zoologist and ethnog ...

Ferenc Farkas Ferenc Farkas (; 15 December 1905 – 10 October 2000) was a Hungary, Hungarian composer. Biography Born into a musical family (his father, Aladár Farkas, was an Olympian and soldier who played the cimbalom and his mother played the piano) i ...

: Concertino for Harpsichord and Strings – conducted by

Jean Françaix Jean René Désiré Françaix (pronunciation Fran-say or Fran-seks) was born on 23 May 1912, in Le Mans and died in 25 September 1997, in Paris). Françaix was a French neoclassical composer, pianist, and orchestrator known for his prolific outp ...

: L'Insectarium *

Johann Ludwig Krebs Johann Ludwig Krebs (baptized 12 October 1713 – 1 January 1780) was a German Baroque musician and composer for the pipe organ, harpsichord, other instruments and orchestras. His output also included chamber music, choral works and concertos. ...

: Concerto for Two Harpsichords – with Zsuzsa Pertis * Frank Martin: Concerto for Harpsichord and Small Orchestra – conducted by

: Three Concertos after

Johann Christian Bach Johann Christian Bach (5 September 1735 – 1 January 1782) was a German composer of the Classical era, the youngest son of Johann Sebastian Bach. He received his early musical training from his father, and later from his half-brother, Carl ...

– with members of the

Francis Poulenc Francis Jean Marcel Poulenc (; 7 January 189930 January 1963) was a French composer and pianist. His compositions include mélodie, songs, solo piano works, chamber music, choral pieces, operas, ballets, and orchestral concert music. Among th ...

Concert champêtre ''Concert champêtre'' (, ''Pastoral Concerto''), FP 49, is a harpsichord concerto by Francis Poulenc, which also exists in a version for piano solo with very slight changes in the solo part. It was written in 1927–28 for the harpsichordi ...

– conducted by Tamás Bolberitz

References

External links

* * Sebestyén János (orgonaművész)
Sebestyén János első aranykora

Sebestyén János – csembalóművész

Elhunyt Sebestyén János csembaló- és orgonaművész

The harpsichordist János Sebestyén has died

János Sebestyén: A Musical Silk Route in Budapest

Egy rádiós élete a diktatúra éveiben
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sebestyen, Janos Hungarian harpsichordists Hungarian male classical pianists Hungarian classical organists Hungarian male classical organists Musicians from Budapest 1931 births 2012 deaths Recipients of the Order of Isabella the Catholic Artists of Merit of the Hungarian People's Republic 20th-century Hungarian classical pianists 20th-century Hungarian male musicians