He was born in Budapest, Hungary. Mr. Onczay studied at the F. Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest with Antal Friss, at the Conservatory Tchaikovsky in Moscow with Shirinsky and with Andre Navarra in Sienna, Italy. After concluding his studies, he secured the position of Professor at the Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary where he remains today. In 2001, he was a Visiting Professor at Oberlin Conservatory in Oberlin, OH.

Mr. Onczay has won various international prizes. They include: first prize at the International Pablo Casals Competition in Budapest, Hungary (1973), first prize at the International Villa Lobos Competition of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1976) and for his excellent interpretation of Kodály`s Solosonata op.8., he was awarded the Liszt Prize in Budapest, Hungary (1976).

He appears as a soloist in some of the most prestigious concerthalls of Europe, America, Korea, and Japan. He has amassed outstanding successes with numerous orchestras including the Wiener Symphoniker, the Gewandhaus Orchester Leipzig, the RAI Orchestra and with many orchestras in the United States.

In addtion to numerous recordings of concerts for radio and television, Mr. Onczay recorded for CD's: concertos of C.P.E. Bach, Schumann, Lalo,Villa Lobos, Dohnányi and also all the sonatas of Beethoven and all the solosuites of Bach. Csaba Onczay is considered to be an outstanding interpreter of the contemporary music of Akutagawa, Gubaidulina, Lutoslawski, Pendereczki, Dutilleux, Landowski, Lendvay, Szokolay and also of concertos composed for him personally (Kocsár, Landowski and Decsényi).

His participation at the Wolf Trap Festival in USA in 1984 was received with great enthusiasm. MUSICAL AMERICA reports about him:

"Csaba Onczay brought to life the score's quick-changing moods and its variety of color, ranging from indomitable of Hungarian dance to lyric folksong and brooding melancholy."

Le Monde, August 1990:

"More significant was the successful presence of Hungarian cellist Csaba Onczay, with an extraordinary concentration, connected to a sound of "velvet" - disregarding any effects -... vivacious, deap, passionate and sometimes with a "ghostly" character ... close to Casals for saying shortly."

Corresponding with his activities as a music interpreter since 1978, he regularly holds master-courses in Italy, Germany, France, Austria, Switzerland, USA, Japan and in Hungary. Mr. Onczay founded an orchestra in Florence, Italy in 2000. He has been conducting there for two years. Presently, he guest conducts various orchestras throughout Europe.

He is invited as a soloist and chamber music player to many international festivals. They include: Pablo Casals Festival Prades, Kronberg, Springfestival Budapest, Beaumaris Festival, Bergamo, and Springfestival in Prague. He is the Artistic Director of the Summer Courses at the Festetics Castle in Keszthely, Hungary. His North American manager is Joanne Rile Management.

Recordings

• Concertos: Lalo, Schumann, Villa-Lobos, CPE.Bach, Dohnanyi
• Bach 6 solosuites
• Beethoven all sonatas and variations, trios
• Grieg, Kodaly sonatas; trios from Schumann, Brahms, Beethoven, Schubert
• Contemporary music (Hungarian):
• Lendvay, Szokolay, Kocsár, Decsényi soloworks and concertos
• Kodály Solosonata (Kossuth prize)

Awards, Master Classes, Concerts, etc.

Reviews

"The Hungarian artist Onczay is a master of the cello, with a formidable technique and considerable powers of interpretation."

Southeastern Massachusetts
 

"Csaba Onczay played his transcription from Kodaly`s "Dances of Galanta". It was a pleasure to hear the precision with wich he made the distinction between these very different "sound worlds". The flawless playing lent these works a grace I have rarely heard in them."

Ithaca Journal
 

"In seinem' Spiel verbindet sich eine perfekte Technik mit einer Palette von virtuosen Ausdrucksmöglichkeiten."

Pfälzer Taqebiatt
 

"Vor allem bestach der Violoncellist durch intensive und modulationsfähige Klanggestaltung."

Leipziger Volkszeitung
 

"Brillant und stilsicher im Vortrag entspann sich eine Melodik großer Ausdruckskraft. Besonders klangliche und melodische Eleganz prägte den Charakter der Interpretation.t'

Mitteldeutsche Neueste Nachrichten
 

"Wer mit den vorgetragenen Stücken schon einmal Casals, Rostropowitsch oder Tortelier gehört hatte, erfuhr einen neuen, anderen Bach. Hier hatte em Interpret der Weltspitzenklasse einen eigenen, herrlich strahlenden Stil gefunden."

Südwest Presse Ulm
 

"Csaba Onczay est un violoncelliste profond et sincère qui sait ignorer les effets faciles pour aller à ce qu`il percoit comme primordial et veut faire partager au public. Il joue avec un intensitè remarquable."

Chartres, L'Echo Rèpublicain
 

"Cet artiste possède une marturitè èvidente. La sixième suite prenait sous ses doigts comme une nouvelle jeunesse"

Chartres, L`Echo Rèpublicain
 

"In possesso ormai, entrambi, di una solida quanto spiccato maturità artistica e professionale, Csaba Onczay e Marta Gulyas hanno messo in mostra tutte le migliori qualità che deve possedere ogni concertista di prima grandezza."

Bergamo-oggi
 

"Con della Südwestdeutsches Kammerorchester Pforzheim, Csaba Onczay, che per l' occasione della serata cumulava le cariche di direttore e di solista, ha nuovamente confermato la propria inequivocabile vocazione musicale. Tutti pezzi sono stati eseguiti con cura e calibratura." -

L'Eco di Bergamo
 

"This recording provides an opportunity for French public to get acquainted with an outstanding Hungarian cellist. He belongs to the same category as Lynn Harrel (who recorded the same concerti in London, with the English Chamber Orchestra, Zuckermann conducting), or Heinrich Schiff. His right hand is just as swift, he has the same sense of phrasing, and, as a perfect chamber musician, he knows when to turn from soloist to a cantor of the Baroque ritornellos."

Zur Einspielung der Cellokonzerte von C.Ph.E. Bach (Hungaroton) Diapason
 

"Csaba Onczay debütierte am 29.12. 85 im Münchner Kulturzentrum am Gasteig. Die außenordentliche, protagonistische Programmwahl und ihre meisterhafte Interpretation mögen nicht nur für das beqeisterte Publikum (drei Zugaben!!!) eine Sensation gewesen sein, sondern sie kündigten, für die zuweilen konservative Struktur der Konzertproqramme, eine neue "Ära" an. Das Pubiikum wird durch eine nicht mehr zu überbietende Interessantheit von Programm und Interpretation begeistert und motiviert."

München