Péter Halász
Péter Halász was born in Budapest. After studying piano and composition in his native city, he went on to study conducting under Leopold Hager at Universität für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Wien and the years he spent there still define his taste and musical aesthetic. He took master classes in Lucerne as a student of Bernard Haitink. He has been massively influenced by Ádám Fischer.
After completing his studies, Péter coached young singers as a member of the International Opera Studio at Opernhaus Zürich. Following this, he was engaged as a coach and conductor by Staatstheater Mainz where he has collected a big repertoire of operas.
From 2011 Péter was the deputy music director of Theater Aachen and Sinfonieorchester Aachen.
He has been a regular conductor at the Hungarian State Opera since 2010, and was the institution's Music Director from 2013 to 2016. He has conducted the Hungarian premieres of R. Strauss's opera The Woman without a Shadow and Thomas Adés's opera The Tempest, as well as the premieres of Wagner's Ring cycle. He is also credited with several Mozart performances in Budapest ("Don Giovanni", "The Marriage of Figaro", "Così fan tutte", etc.) Péter has also frequently led concerts by many other leading Hungarian symphony orchestras.
In 2015 Péter was invited to join Staatsoper Hamburg, where he made his debut with Puccini’s Manon Lescaut. He also worked as a guest conductor at many other German opera houses and symphony orchestras – Baadisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe, Staatstheater Kassel, Saarlaendisches Staatstheater, Staatsorchester Nürnberg etc.
In 2021 Péter Halász was appointed permanent conductor (Kapellmeister) at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein.
In addition to numerous symphonic works, his repertoire includes more than 50 operas.