Laszlo Somogyi

László Somogyi, born on June 25, 1907, in Budapest, Austria-Hungary, was a Hungarian conductor. He trained under Zoltán Kodály and Leo Weiner at the Ferenc Liszt Academy in Budapest. Somogyi founded the Symphonia Orchestra in Hungary, served as Chief Conductor of the Hungarian Broadcasting, and guest-conducted with the Hungarian State Opera. In 1956, he left Hungary and conducted worldwide, debuting in America with the Houston Symphony in March 1961. From 1964 to 1968, he was Chief Conductor of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra. His notable recordings include Haydn symphonies and the Dvořák piano concerto with Rudolf Firkusny on the Westminster label. Somogyi passed away on May 20, 1988, in Geneva, Switzerland.