Ildiko Vekony

Ildikó Vékony was a distinguished Hungarian cimbalom player born in 1963 who began playing the instrument at age seven. She graduated from the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, studying under Ferenc Gerencsér, and was influenced by the school of György Kurtág and Ferenc Rados, as well as contemporary Hungarian composers. Vékony performed extensively across Europe, appearing with renowned orchestras such as the Berlin Philharmonic and Munich Philharmonic, and participated in major festivals like the Wien Festwochen and Salzburg Osterfestspiele. Her repertoire spanned from medieval music to contemporary works, and she was often the first to perform new compositions, earning multiple awards from Artisjus for her interpretations of Hungarian contemporary music. She recorded several albums, including *With Mallets and Strings*, featuring a diverse selection of pieces by Bach and modern composers.

She was highly regarded for her collaborations with eminent conductors including Claudio Abbado and Péter Eötvös and contributed significantly to bringing the cimbalom into the contemporary classical music scene. Vékony's career was marked by her versatility and dedication to the cimbalom's expressive possibilities until her death in 2009.

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