Liszt Award-winning conductor, Artist of Merit, choirmaster of the Hungarian National Choir since 1 April 2016. Throughout his career, he has focused simultaneously on vocal and instrumental music. With an artistic credo centred on passionate interpretation, he puts his energy into achieving a penetrative musical power that is goes beyond the level of mere professionalism.
He earned his degree at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, studying first in voice, music pedagogy and choral conducting courses, and afterwards in the conducting course led by Ervin Lukács and Tamás Gál. He also completed master classes with Johannes Moesus, Jürgen Jürgens and Yuri Simonov. He has been active as a choir leader since the age of 22 and served for nearly 17 years as the choirmaster of the Vasas Ensemble Chorus. In 2002, he founded the Lajos Vass Chamber Choir, which he led until 2017. He has also worked as the music director of the Debrecen Csokonai Theatre and later of the National Theatre of Pécs, as well as held the position of chief choirmaster of the Hungarian Radio Choir. He has appeared as a guest conductor with numerous Hungarian symphonic orchestras and professional choirs. Csaba Somos has also made international guest appearances, including the Salerno Philharmonic Orchestra in Italy and the Sakata Philharmonic Orchestra in Japan and is frequently invited to Spain, Italy, Russia, Romania, Greece, Macedonia, Austria, Germany and China both as a choral- and orchestra conductor.
A teacher at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, he is regularly asked to serve as a member of the jury of music competitions and festivals. He is vice president of the Hungarian Association of Choirs, Orchestras and Folk Ensembles (KÓTA). His professional work was recognised with a Rubányi Award, which was followed by a Liszt Award in 2014. In 2015, he earned his DLA, graduating summa cum laude. In 2020, Csaba Somos was awarded the Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary (civilian grade) in recognition of his successful presentation of works by contemporary Hungarian composers and his high level choral development work as the leader of the Hungarian National Choir.
On the occasion of our national holiday on 15 March 2023 – in recognition of his outstanding and valuable artistic contributions in the areas of Hungarian national culture and artistic creativity – he was named a Hungarian Artist of Merit.
