Szabolcs Sándor is a pianist, répétiteur and conductor, and a habilitated associate professor at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, where he has led the musical work of the opera master’s programme since 2011. From 2023 to 2026, he served as musical director and conductor at the Csokonai National Theatre in Debrecen, and in August 2026 he joined the Szeged National Theatre as a conductor, beside his appointment as associate professor at the University of Szeged. Between 1998 and 2012, he worked as a répétiteur and conductor at the Hungarian State Opera, where he also led the Opera Studio.
His international engagements include work at the Biel Solothurn Theatre in Switzerland, the Oslo Opera, and the Royal Albert Hall in London, where he assisted with productions of György Kurtág’s Fin de partie. His extensive operatic repertoire spans Mozart, Verdi, Monteverdi, Puccini and contemporary composers, and his conducting work includes productions at leading Hungarian theatres and the Hungarian State Opera, as well as festivals and concert venues across Europe and beyond. He has conducted works including Simon Boccanegra, Die Zauberflöte, Don Giovanni, Die Fledermaus, L’incoronazione di Poppea, Carmen, and Scaevola, and has collaborated with numerous Hungarian and international orchestras. He is also a regular official pianist at prestigious international vocal competitions, including the Éva Marton International Singing Competition and the Tenor Viñas International Singing Competition in Barcelona.
He graduated in piano and chamber music, répétiteur studies and conducting from the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music and completed his doctoral studies there in 2018 with research on Puccini’s individual style and Manon Lescaut. He obtained his habilitation in 2026. His distinctions include third prize at the International Opera Conducting Competition in Orvieto in 2006, the Hungarian State Opera’s Pless László Award and the Polgár László Scholarship, as well as research and study scholarships from the Hungarian Academy of Arts and the Italian state.
