László Feriencsik was a Hungarian conductor and pianist who was born on August 18, 1913, in Budapest, Hungary. He was the son of a music teacher and grew up in a musical family. His father was a violinist and his mother was a pianist. Feriencsik began playing the piano at a young age and showed great talent. He studied at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where he was a student of Zoltán Kodály and Béla Bartók. Feriencsik began his career as a pianist, but he soon turned to conducting. He made his debut as a conductor in 1945 with the Hungarian State Opera. He quickly gained a reputation as a talented conductor and was appointed the principal conductor of the Hungarian State Opera in 1948. He held this position until 1956, when he left Hungary after the Hungarian Revolution. Feriencsik went on to conduct orchestras all over the world, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, and the New York Philharmonic. He was known for his interpretations of the works of Hungarian composers, such as Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály, as well as for his performances of the works of Beethoven, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky. One of Feriencsik's most notable performances was his 1958 performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony with the Berlin Philharmonic. This performance was recorded and released on LP, and it became one of the most famous recordings of the work. Feriencsik also conducted the premiere of Bartók's opera Bluebeard's Castle in 1951, and he conducted the first complete recording of the work in 1955. Feriencsik was also a prolific recording artist. He recorded over 200 albums, including recordings of the works of Bartók, Kodály, Beethoven, Brahms, and Tchaikovsky. He received numerous awards for his recordings, including the Grand Prix du Disque and the Edison Award. In addition to his work as a conductor and pianist, Feriencsik was also a teacher. He taught at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, where his students included conductors such as Iván Fischer and Zoltán Kocsis. Feriencsik died on December 12, 1979, in Budapest, Hungary. He was 66 years old. He is remembered as one of the greatest conductors of the 20th century, and his recordings continue to be admired by music lovers around the world.

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