Ovation

Roby Lakatos

What would a 19th century Hungarian gypsy violinist sound like today? Roby Lakatos, born in 1965, is probably as close to this as one can hear. A descendant of the “King of Gypsy Violinists,” Janos Bihari (1764-1827), Lakatos has been following in the footsteps of his ancestor since he was a child in Hungary.  Adding to his family roots, Lakatos studied classical violin at the Béla Bartók Conservatory in Budapest. From 1986 to 1996, Lakatos was based in Brussels, playing at Les Atéliers de la Grande Ile. Lakatos continues to mix traditional Hungarian music with the classical tradition, joining the London Symphony Orchestra to play with Maxim Vengerov. Following tours to festivals throughout Europe, Lakatos released his first CD, produced by Deutsche Grammophon, in 1998. With an ensemble of friends, his second CD, Lakatos: Live from Budapest, recorded his homecoming concerts in 1999.