Ildikó Szabó was born in 1993, in Budapest, into a musician’s family. Her grandfather, Csaba Szabó was a composer, musicologist, folklorist, and academic professor . Her father, Péter Szabó is Principal Cellist at the Budapest Festival Orchestra, her mother, Ágota Lénárt is a pianist.
Her exceptional musical talent appeared very early; she started to learn the cello at the age of 4 in Budapest, in the Aladár Tóth School of Music.
Ildiko Szabó has been portrayed as “… an extraordinary talent. Her technique is immaculate, she seems to have no difficulties at all! Above all, she is a true performer, who enjoys performing and she is at her best in front of an audience.”
Iván Fischer, Music Director of Budapest Festival Orchestra, Principal Conductor, National Symphony Orchestra Washington D.C. (USA)
“… an exceptionally gifted young cellist.”
Dr. János Starker, Distinguished Professor of Cello – Indiana University-Bloomington. (USA)
“Ildikó Szabó is a fantastic cellist and musician, with an extraordinary technique, a brilliant intellect a creative and imaginative musical mind. Ildikó’s cloudless joy of performing and her enigmatic ability to communicate with the audience assure us that the classical works will be in proper hands.”
Tamás Vásáry, Pianist, Conductor, Awarded the Kossuth Prize, Lifetime Honorary Chief Musical Director of the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra.
Ildikó started participating in several national and international cello competitions at the early age of 9 and she had remarkable successes.
| May, 2010 | Winner of The Solti Foundation Award |
| November, 2009 | David Popper International Cello Competition Ist Prize (Várpalota, Hungary) |
| October, 2008 | VII. Antonio Janigro International Cello Competition Ist Prize and The Jeunesse Musicales of Croatia Award |
| July, 2007 | The Haydn Competition of Summer String Academy Ist Prize Jacobs School of Music, Bloomington, Indiana-USA |
| April, 2007 | Alfredo e Vanda Marcosig European CelloCompetition Ist Prize (Gorizia, Italy) |
| April, 2006 | Liezen International Cello Competition Ist Prize (Austria) |
| March, 2004 | Leó Weiner School and Secondary School of Music, Chamber Music Festival, Ist Prize (Budapest, Hungary) |
| October, 2002 | X. Antal Friss National Music School Cello Competition, Ist Prize (Budapest, Hungary) |
| April, 2002 | II. Budapest Cello and Cello - Duo Competition, Ist Prize (Budapest, Hungary) |
| October, 2006 | David Popper International Cello Competition IInd Prize (Várpalota, Hungary) |
| February, 2005 | III. Dotzauer International Cello Competition IInd Prize, and Special Prize for the best performance of the Contemporary piece (Dresden, Germany) |
| October, 2004 | V. Antonio Janigro International Cello Competition IInd Prize (Porec - Croatia) |
| April, 2003 | II. David Popper International Cello Competition IInd Prize (Várpalota, Hungary) |
| April, 2004 | Liezen International Cello Competition IIIrd Prize (Austria) |
| December, 2002 | X. Antal Friss National Music School Cello Competition, IIIrd Prize (Szolnok, Hungary) |
| March, 2009 | Johansen International Competition for Young String Players, (Washington D.C., USA), the only European Finalist |
| January, 2006 | Rudolf Matz International Competition Special Award – she has won a performing possibility together with the Dubrovnik Philharmonic Orchestra in the 2006-2007 season (Dubrovnik, Croatia) |
Ildikó at the age of 11 was admitted to the Exceptional Talents’ Class at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest in the cello class of Professor László Mező.
She has participated in several master classes, where she has learned from professors, like László Mező, Csaba Onczay, Heidi Litschauer, Wolfgang Boettcher, Philippe Muller, Janos Starker, Richard Aaron, Amir Eldan, Susan Moses, David Geringas, Frans Helmerson, Gustav Rivinius, Lynn Harrell and Natalia Gutman.
In 2008 she received a scholarship from the Zonta Club ( Germany) to attend the master class of Mr. Helmerson at the Kronberg Academy ( Germany). In 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 she has won an invitation with a scholarship for the Summer String Academy at Indiana University in Bloomington, USA. In this year she received an invitation from the prestigious Verbier Festival Academy, in Switzerland.
She regularly performs at the „Cocoa” Concert Series of the Budapest Festival Orchestra on the recommendation of Maestro Iván Fischer, she appears regulary in various Hungarian Radio and Duna Television programmes. In 2007 she received the “Hungarian Stars” Award from Duna Television.
Ildikó gave her first recital at age of 12 in the prestigious Palace of Arts in Budapest.
She performs extensively in cities around Europe. As soloist she appeard in prestigious concert halls such as the Mozarteum in Salzburg, (Austria), the Teatro La Fenice in Venice, (Italy) the Conservatoire at Lausanne, (Switzerland), the Auer Concert Hall in Bloomington –Indiana-USA, The Franz Liszt Academy of Music and the Palace of Arts in Budapest.
As soloist Ildikó has performed with conductors like Tamás Vásáry, Gábor Takács-Nagy. She has been invited to perform the Haydn C Major Cello Concerto with the world famous Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra. In 2010 Ildikó performed the Tchaikovsky Rococo Variations with the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra.
In April 2008, at the age of 14 she released ” Dances of the Elves” her first CD recording on the Hungaroton Classic label (HCD 32592), the recording features a collection of the most virtuoso pieces for cello.