Ildikó Szabó
cello
In 2007, János Starker described his compatriot as "an exceptionally gifted young cellist" with the potential for a world career. Since then, Ildikó Szabó has lived up to this claim: the Hungarian artist has won prizes at 16 international competitions, including at the Pablo Casals Cello Competition in 2014 at which she won a total of eight prizes.
“A true artist who enjoys being on stage and manages to perform to the absolute best of her capabilities in front of an audience” says Iván Fischer who has collaborated with her on multiple occasions, where she performed as a soloist with the Budapest Festival Orchestra. She has also performed with the Concerto Budapest, the Hungarian Radio Orchestra, the Magdeburgische Philharmonie, the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra, and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe.
Ildikó stems from a family of great musical traditions. From the age of 11, she studied with László Mező at the Liszt Academy in Budapest and attended master classes with János Starker, before she began her studies with Jens Peter Maintz at the Berlin University of the Arts in 2011. From 2018, she continued her studies at the Hochschule für Musik "Franz Liszt" Weimar with Wolfgang Emanuel Schmidt. “Her technique is impeccable, her sound is warm and flexible. Her interpretations are both intelligent and heartfelt.” She completed her studies at the Kronberg Academy in July 2023 on the Professional Studies programme.
She played at prestigious festivals such as the Rheingau Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, OCM Prussia Cove, BBC at Hay, Verbier Festival, Piatigorsky Cello Festival, IBF Gran Canaria, and the Krzyżowa Music. In the 2025/26 season, invitations will follow to the Amsterdam Cello Biënnale and the Britten Festival in Ghent. Previous venues have included the Wigmore Hall, Mariinski-Theater, Elbphilharmonie, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Walt Disney Hall, as well as the Liszt Academy and the Palace of Arts Budapest. As a laureate of Gautier Capuçon's "Classe d'Excellence", she appeared regularly at the Fondation Louis Vuitton. She has performed with conductors including Iván Fischer, Michael Sanderling, Luciano di Martino, Zsolt Hamar, and Leo McFall. She has cooperated with artists such as Arnold Steinhardt, Ferenc Rados, Kirill Gerstein, Tabea Zimmermann, and Matthias Schorn on numerous chamber music projects.
Szabó has a particular passion for Hungarian and Transylvanian repertoire - she has developed personal relationships with György Kurtág and Péter Eötvös. Her discography reflects said affinity: her solo album “Heritage” (2020) - which was nominated for the German Record Critics’ Award - features world premiere recordings of works by György Kurtág and Csaba Szabó. Her mentor Alfred Brendel described the recording as “substantial interpretations by a very special young cellist.” The next recording project came about at his suggestion: the complete works for cello and piano by Beethoven were released in May 2023 with the pianist and long-time chamber music partner István Lajkó and nominated for the ICMA Awards 2024. Ildikó is currently focusing on works from the 20th and 21st centuries, including György Kurtág’s Double Concerto (to mark his 100th birthday in 2026) and Benjamin Britten’s solo suites. The core classical repertoire – all of Beethoven’s works for cello and piano, as well as the six Bach suites – remains at the heart of her artistic work.
From October 2023, Ildikó is an associate professor for chamber music at the University of Music Franz Liszt Weimar, and a lecturer for cello at the Julius-Stern-Institute - UdK Berlin. From December 2025 to July 2026, she also serves as a guest lecturer for chamber music at the Hochschule für Musik Hanns Eisler Berlin. She has been actively involved in educational and outreach projects such as TONALi's school concerts and the Konzerthaus Dortmund's Community Music. Ildikó is a Larsen Strings artist.
