Istvan Kassai

István Kassai is a Hungarian classical pianist born on March 26, 1959, in Budapest, who kicked off his piano journey in 1965 under Ilona Csákvári. He snagged diplomas from the Ferenc Liszt Music Academy in Budapest with Pál Kadosa in 1982 and from the Conservatoire Européen de Musique in Paris with Yvonne Lefébure in 1984, plus early wins like first prizes at the 1972 Ústí nad Labem International Piano Competition, 1979 Hungarian Radio National Competition, and 1982 Paris Debussy Competition.

Kassai's racked up accolades including the 2001 Liszt Prize, 2010 Leó Weiner Prize, and 2024 Merited Artist of Hungary award, and he's been a full member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts since 2013. He's recorded complete piano works by Ernest Bloch, Ferenc Erkel, and Mihály Mosonyi for Naxos/Marco Polo, plus Hubay, Weiner, Dohnányi, Bartók, and more for Hungaroton—recent gems include Balassa's piano music series and Hungarian dance collections that match his latest releases. Beyond playing, he's edited Cziffra improvisations and Mosonyi scores, sharing his deep love for Hungarian classics.

Genres

Chamber Music

Classical Piano

Classical

Contemporary Classical

Baroque

Romantic Music

Piano

Solo Piano

Orchestral

Impressionism

Hungarian Folk

Latest Release

Weiner: Chamber Works

Csaba Klenyán•

Júlia Pusker•

Ditta Rohmann•

Istvan Kassai

Album - 10 Tracks - Released January 16, 2026