Georg Solti studied piano, composition, and conducting at the Liszt Academy under the tutelage of Béla Bartók, Ernst von Dohnányi, Zoltán Kodály, and Leo Weiner.

He was chosen by Arturo Toscanini to be his assistant during the Salzburg Festival in 1937.

Solti escaped to Switzerland as a refugee shortly before the start of World War II and turned to the piano as a source of income.

In 1942, he took home the top prize at the Geneva International Concours.

Solti took over as music director of the Bavarian State Opera after the war, and in 1952, he was chosen to fill the same role at the Frankfurt City Opera.

Between 1958 and 1965, he conducted the Vienna Philharmonic in the first commercial studio recording of Wagner’s Der Ring des Nibelungen, and from 1961 to 1971, he served as the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden’s music director.

George Solti Pronunciation: How do you pronounce George Solti?

The pronunciation of Georg Solti is /drdlti/ JORJ SHOL-tee.