Deceased Jr. Ferenc Sánta is a two-time Kossuth Prize-winning violinist

Ferenc Sánta, two-time Kossuth and Ferenc Liszt Prize-winning violinist, Artist of the Nation, has passed away, the 100-member Gypsy Orchestra announced on its Facebook page.

- writes the 100-member Gypsy Orchestra on its social media page.

Ferenc Sánta Jr. was born in 1945 into a gypsy musician family, his father, age Ferenc Sánta was a recognized and famous gypsy musician, but his great-grandfather was already a violinist, and his mother was Gizella Horváth. He studied classical music, but at the age of nine he also introduced himself in his father's band. From 1952, he studied violin at the Kaposvár music school with Dezső Lehota, and at the age of 13 he already played in the Kaposvár Symphony Orchestra. Two years later, on the recommendation of supervisor Matild Gréf, he entered the Pécs Music Academy without admission. From 1963, he studied at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest with Tibor Ney, but in the meantime he was already a touring gypsy musician, accompanying Apollonia Kovács. He obtained his diploma as a violinist and teacher in 1969.

He formed his first folk band in 1973. He toured the world as a gypsy musician, but they also played classical music from time to time; at the beginning of his career, for example, he was a member of the orchestra of the Budapest Opera House, and in 1969 he was also a musician of the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra. He played in almost every country in Europe, visited the United States, Japan, and Australia. He was a founding member of the 100-member Gypsy Band, and is currently the artistic director and principal conductor of the Hungarian National Gypsy Band, founded in the mid-1990s. He created a series of Hungarian sheet music and csárdás arrangements. He also taught at OSZK's Studio, from which many of his successful students graduated, Magyar Nemzet reports.

Cover photo: 100-member Gypsy Orchestra Facebook