Who doesn't know him—that charming, amiable, thoroughly talented, pure musical soul: Iván Fischer. Back in 2012, Klassiek Centraal already awarded him a Golden Label Podium for his unforgettable Wagner program.
Anyone lucky enough to hear it as an audience member remembers it like it was yesterday. A nice bonus of the presentation at DeSingel was that he speaks Dutch perfectly. Unfortunately, my Hungarian is limited to 'jó napot' (good day). Now, this friendly man will receive the Concertgebouw Prize in March 2026. Well deserved.
'A true virtuoso. Everything he touches turns into something new.'
Amsterdam, November 26, 2025 – The Concertgebouw Prize will be presented on March 16, 2026, to Hungarian conductor and composer Iván Fischer. Fischer receives the prize for his exceptional contribution to the artistic profile of The Concertgebouw, where he has already conducted more than 150 concerts and will take the podium eight more times this season. With the awarding of the Concertgebouw Prize, Iván Fischer joins an illustrious circle that includes conductor Bernard Haitink, violinist Janine Jansen, cellist Yo-Yo Ma, and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. This is the fifteenth time the Concertgebouw Prize has been awarded.
Conductor Iván Fischer: 'If I, like the Trojan prince Paris, had been tasked with choosing which concert hall in the world is the most beautiful, the most festive, and the most attractive, I would award the golden apple to The Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.'
Iván Fischer and The Concertgebouw
Iván Fischer's special connection with The Concertgebouw and the city of Amsterdam goes back to 1987, when he first conducted the Concertgebouw Orchestra. The program featured Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra. Since then, he has conducted more than 150 concerts at The Concertgebouw, primarily with the Concertgebouw Orchestra and his own Budapest Festival Orchestra, but also with the European Union Youth Orchestra and the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra. Fischer also lived in Amsterdam for a long time and became fluent in Dutch. He is known for his original approach—for instance, he had the audience sit among the orchestra members and regularly presents theatrical programs. Iván Fischer also composes for choir and orchestra. His moving 'Sait gesunt' was performed in The Concertgebouw by the National Women's Youth Choir. His concerts with the Budapest Festival Orchestra during the Mahler Festival 2025 were regarded by the press as a highlight of the festival.
Simon Reinink, General Director of The Concertgebouw, comments on the awarding of the Concertgebouw Prize: 'Iván Fischer is a true virtuoso. He refuses to be bound by routine. Everything he touches turns into something new, as if it were being heard for the first time. And always with a keen sense of humor. A concert with Iván is more than a concert—it's a total experience.' Iván Fischer is renowned for his distinctive concerts, such as 'Inside Out,' in which the audience sat among the musicians of the Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam.
Concertgebouw Prize
The Concertgebouw Prize, being presented for the fifteenth time at a gala dinner in the Grand Hall, is an initiative of the boards and management of The Concertgebouw and The Concertgebouw Foundation. The prize is intended for musicians who have contributed to the artistic profile of The Concertgebouw over an extended period. Previous recipients include Cecilia Bartoli (2004), the Beaux Arts Trio (2006), Bernard Haitink (2007), the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (2009), Maurizio Pollini (2010), Thomas Hampson (2011), Janine Jansen (2013), Yo-Yo Ma (2014), John Eliot Gardiner (2016), the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra/Grand Broadcasting Choir (2017), the Hagen Quartet (2019), Wynton Marsalis (2021), Jaap van Zweden (2023), and Joyce DiDonato (2024). The Concertgebouw Prize consists of an artwork and a permanent nameplate on the honor roll opposite the soloist staircase in the Grand Hall.
