Csaba Gálfi

Csaba Gálfi was born in Budapest in 1974. He began learning the violin at the age of 7 at the Hungarian Radio Children’s Choir under Krisztina Balsay. He was a member and principal of the viola section of the King Saint Stephen Symphony Orchestra for 10 years. During his years at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, he attended chamber music classes by Sándor Devich and the Bartók String Quartet, Isaac Stern, Norbert Brainin, Siegmund Nissel, as well as Alban Berg and the Cleveland Quartet. In 1999 he won the Pál Lukács Hungarian Viola Competition and graduated from the class of László Bársony. Between 1998 and 2000 he worked with the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra. From autumn 2000 until 2010, he was a member of the Auer String Quartet, which has won Liszt and Artisjus Awards. Together they have performed at various festivals and made several radio and CD recordings both in Hungary and abroad. He has performed regularly with the Budapest Festival Orchestra since 2007; since 2015, he has been leading the BFO’s viola section. He is the father of two children.