Gábor Káli

After replacing Iván Fischer in April 2019 with the prestigious Budapest Festival Orchestra, at the maestro’s invitation, German-Hungarian conductor Gábor Káli earned rave reviews and standing ovations in major cities and venues such as Hamburg Elbphilharmonie, Philharmonie de Paris, Luxembourg Philharmonie and Budapest’s Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, which have consolidated his reputation as one to watch amongst the younger generation of conductors.

Recent career highlights of the 2024-25 season saw Káli make debuts with Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Daniel Lozakovich as soloist, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and NDR RadioPhilharmonie with Grieg’s Peer Gynt and Sibelius’ Finlandia. He made returns with Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen conducting Bartók and Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra for two subscription weeks.  Upcoming highlights of the 2025-26 season include Kurtág’s Fin de partie with Theater Basel, MÁV Symphony Orchestra with Rachmaninov’s Symphony No. 2, Pannon Philharmonic on multiple occasions, Enescu Philharmonic Bucharest with Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris with Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony No. 8, and Bamberger Symphoniker.  Káli was the CEO and Music Director for the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Choir and Children’s Choir in 2024.

Káli makes appearances with major orchestras across Europe and the world, such as Wiener Symphoniker, RSO Wien, Staatskappelle Dresden, Staatsorchester Stuttgart, Kölner Kammerorchester,  Deutsche Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz, NDR RadioPhilharmonie, Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien, MDR Sinfonieorchester Leipzig, Münchner Rundfunkorchester, Borusan Istanbul Philharmonic Orchestra, Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra,  Slovak Philharmonic, Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Gulbenkian Orchestra, Orchestra della Svizzera Italiana, Orchestre de Chambre de Lausanne, Orchestre de Paris, Orchestre de Chambre de Paris, Orchestre National de Lille, Symfonieorkest Vlaanderen, Philzuid, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Irish Chamber Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Taiwan Philharmonic, and Macao Symphony Orchestra.

On the operatic stage, Káli has been invited to Bayerische Staatsoper with Turandot and The Bartered Bride, Staatsoper Berlin with Così fan tutte, Theater und Philharmonie Essen with Bluebeard’s Castle, Semperoper Dresden with Die Zauberflöte, Oper Köln  and Nationaltheater Mannheim with Così fan tutte and Graz Opera with Madama Butterfly. Other recent highlights include several performances of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte at Dresden’s Semperoper upon Maestro Thielemann’s invitation, and Verdi’s Rigoletto at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, at Salzburg Festival.

A very versatile and capable musician, Gábor Káli is committed to contemporary repertoire, regularly conducting new music and premiering various works across the globe. Drawing from a musical upbringing which emphasised intellectual musical engagement and powerful emotional expression, Káli is particularly sought-after for his deep knowledge of Bartók’s works which led him to conduct Budapest Festival Orchestra on tour.  In 2025, he recorded Béla Bartók – The Complete Piano Concertos with soloist Tomáš Vrána and Janáček Philharmonic Ostrava, an album with works ‘smartly balanced under conductor Gábor Káli’s watch’ (Gramophone, 2025).

Gábor Káli was awarded the prestigious Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductor’s Award in 2018. In the same year, he also won first prize at the inaugural Hong Kong International Conducting Competition.  In 2023, Káli won the Concert of the Year prize at the inaugural Bartók Radio Music Awards for his performance of Jenő Hubay’s Petőfi Symphony with the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, Chorus, Children’s Choir and the Honvéd Male Choir.

In 2015, he took up the position of First Kapellmeister and Deputy Music Director of the Nürnberg Staatstheater, conducting Berg’s Wozzeck, Puccini’s La Bohème, Janáček ’s From the House of the Dead, Bizet’s Les pêcheurs de perles, Strauss’ Arabella, and Verdi’s Otello.  Káli studied piano and conducting at the Franz Liszt Music Academy in Budapest. He joined the Dirigentenforum of the Deutsche Musikrat, where he attended masterclasses with Kurt Masur, Colin Metters and Sian Edwards. He also took part in courses with Péter Eötvös, Bernhard Haitink, David Zinman, and the Tonhalle-Orchester Zürich.

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