'Were he a violinist or a cellist, he would probably be talked of in the same breath as Kreisler and Casals and command that kind of public.' —The Sunday Times, London
Csaba Erdélyi, born in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, made musical history in 1972 when he won the prestigious Carl Flesch Violin Competition with the viola ? the first, and so far only time. Lionel Tertis, who was present at the finals, called Erdélyi 'a great ambassador for the viola and for his country.' The Flesch Prize launched Erdélyi's international career. In the same year he was invited by Joseph Szigeti and Rudolph Serkin to the Marlboro Festival (USA) where he also worked with Pablo Casals.
A viola student of Pál Lukács and subsequently Yehudi Menuhin and Bruno Giuranna, Erdélyi became Menuhin's partner performing concertos and chamber music together in several countries. Menuhin wrote to Benjamin Britten: "Erdélyi is an invaluable link between the two great musical cultures of Eastern and Western Europe."
As a soloist, Csaba Erdélyi has recorded for Concordance, Decca, Hungaroton, Lyrita, Nimbus and Philips records. He was the viola soloist in the film score of Amadeus, with Sir Neville Marriner conducting the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. He has played viola concertos with the leading British orchestras in the Royal Festival Hall and on the BBC Promenade Concerts, as well as in major international music festivals.
In recitals and chamber music, Erdélyi has performed in concerts and recordings with such world-renowned soloists as Steven Isserlis,Yo-Yo Ma and Yehudi Menuhin. Csaba Erdélyi was principal viola player of the Philharmonia Orchestra of London from 1974 to 1978 and guest principal violist of the BBC Symphony. Erdélyi has taught at Indiana University, Rice University, Butler University and Bowling Green State University as professor of viola and chamber music.
Erdélyi has adjudicated at many international music competitions both in Europe and the USA. He has frequently been a featured performer and lecturer at International Viola Congresses in the USA, in various European countries and in New Zealand.
In addition to performing, recording, and teaching, Professor Erdélyi devotes much time to research and publication. For over 20 years, Csaba Erdélyi researched the original manuscript of the Bartók Viola Concerto, the composer's last masterpiece left in its first draft. Former violist of the Kolisch-quartet, Eugene Lehner, friend of Bartók, praised Erdélyi's score and recording as "an invaluable service to Bartók and all violists."
