Hailed as a “young titan” by the Montreal Gazette after conducting the Montreal Symphony in Bartók’s Bluebeard’s Castle and Schönberg’s Erwartung, Gregory Vajda has fast become one of the most sought-after conductors on the international scene. Reflecting his growing presence and demand in North America, he has been appointed in 2011 the sixth music director of the Huntsville Symphony Orchestra. He has started his tenure as the Principal Conductor of Savaria Symphony in Hungary in the fall of 2022. Following 3 years as Artist in Residence he was named Principal Associated Conductor (Chef Principal Associé) of new music ensemble Ars nova in France for 2024-2026. In Hungary Mr. Vajda is the Artistic Director of the new music ensemble UMZE, and Program Director of the Peter Eötvös Contemporary Music Foundation.  After concluding his 3 year tenure as Principal Conductor he was named Principal Guest Conductor of the Hungarian Radio Symphony in 2014. He has served as Artistic Director of the Armel International Opera Festival and Competition between 2014 and 2019. For his achievements as a performing artist he has been awarded the Gundel Art Prize in 2001, the Bartók-Pásztory Award in 2018, and the Artisjus Performing Arts Award in 2020. Mr. Vajda holds a DLA degree in conducting.

In the 2022-23 season Vajda made his debut with Staatskapelle Dresden, Germany, with the Chicago Philharmonic, and the Vancouver Symphony, Canada, with Transilvania Fiharmonia in Rumania, with Plural Ensemble in Madrid, Spain. He conducted the music of American composers with Ensemble Ars Nova at Flagey, the famed concert hall in Brussels, Belgium, and led, also with Ars Nova, the opening production of Manifeste, festival of Ircam and Centre Pompidou.

In the 2024-25 season Gregory Vajda conducts the Hungarian Premiere of John Adams’ Nixon in China. The production can be viewed until the end of March at operavision.eu Vajda debuts at the helm of Ensemble Phoenix in Basel, Switzerland and returns to conduct Transilvania Fiharmonia, The Hungarian Philharmonic Society Orchestra, and the productions of Salute to Vienna. He will be a guest-conductor/professor in Royaumont, France for the master classes of the Voix Nouvelles summer program.

Conducting career highlights:

Atlanta Opera, Baltimore Symphony, Budapest Wagner Days (Lohengrin revival), Ensemble Intercontemporain, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, Hamburg State Opera, Klangforum Wien, Launaudiére Festival in Canada, Mostly Mozart Festival at Lincoln Center, Montreal Symphony, Montreal Opera, Opera Palermo, Seattle Symphony, St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, Toronto Symphony.  He conducted the final performance of Bartók’s Four Orchestral Pieces, Cantata profana and Bluebeard’s Castle with the Vienna Philharmonic and Vienna State Opera Chorus at the Salzburg Festival in 2008.

Mr. Vajda’s recordings are published by labels ECM, BMC (Budapest Music Center) and Hungaroton Classics, and are available on all major online platforms.