Conductors

János Sándor, Music Director
Yariv Aloni, Associate Music Director

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János Sándor, Music Director

“Sándor summoned forth from his players pure magic, from the hushed openings to the glowing climax. I was not surprised to find tears running down my cheeks.”

Deryk Barker, Victoria Times Colonist, April 19, 2004

János Sándor began his musical career as an orchestra musician. He was 18 years old when he was appointed as principal timpanist as the youngest member of the Hungarian Radio and Television Symphony Orchestra. During his ten years tenure in the orchestra he studied conducting at the Franz Liszt Academy with Laszlo Somogyi, András Korodi and at the Accademia Chigiana in Siena (Italy) with Sergiu Celibidache one of the great conductors of the XX century. He graduated with distinction.  Between 1961 and 1975 he was Music Director of the Györ Philharmonic Orchestra and of the Opera and Ballet Company in Pecs, both in Hungary. In 1975 he was appointed Conductor of the Hungarian State Opera and was active as opera conductor and as principal conductor of the State Opera Ballet Company. With the Hungarian State Opera he has toured extensively, performing in many of the great Opera Houses of Europe, including Vienna Staatsoper, Covent Garden, Sadler's Wells and La Scala as well as in North America, South Korea and Mexico. János Sándor has conducted Hungary's top symphony orchestras and has appeared as a guest conductor with numerous other orchestras in more than twenty countries including the Amsterdam Philharmonic Orchestra, Berlin Symphony, Dresden Philharmonic Orchestra, the Barcelona Symphony and the Italian Radio and Television Orchestra in Milan. Between 1986 and 1989 he was Head of the Music Department of the Academy of Drama and Film in Budapest.

His interest in young people has led to his involvement with many youth orchestras, including festivals in Lausanne (Switzerland), Aberdeen (Scotland) and the Festival of Canadian Youth Orchestras in Banff, (Canada) where he conducted the Gala concert of the Inaugural Festival in 1974 and was guest conductor for 15 years. A founding member of "Jeunesses Musicales" in Hungary, he has regularly conducted the International Orchestra of the "Jeunesses" camp at Pecs (Hungary). 

His recordings include more then 30 records and CD's issued by Hungaroton, Echo, Laserlight, Delta, and Capriccio. His recording for Hungaroton of Bartok's Miraculous Mandarin, Dance Suite and Hungarian Peasant Songs, in the complete edition of Bartok's works, qualified as one of "the best five recordings of the year" in Hi-Fi News, and it was awarded the Arthur Honegger Prize of the Grand Prix Nationale du Disque.

Since moving to Canada in 1991, his guest conducting includes concerts with the Victoria Symphony, the CBC Vancouver Orchestra, the Edmonton Symphony, as well as the Sonor Ensemble of San Diego. He was featured in the Gala Concert celebrating the opening of CBC Victoria and conducted the CBC Vancouver Orchestra and combined choirs in a celebration of the 75th anniversary of the Orpheum Theatre. He regularly returns to conduct in Europe especially in Hungary.

In September 1995 Mr. Sándor joined the University of Victoria as Artist-in-Residence, Music Director and Conductor of the University of Victoria Orchestra and Chorus. Mr. Sándor was appointed Music Director of the Greater Victoria Youth Orchestra in September 1996. In his native Hungary he has been awarded the "Franz Liszt" prize, the title: "Merited Artist of the Hungarian Republic" and "Honorary Life Member" of the Györ Philharmonic Orchestra which he founded as a professional orchestra in 1968.

Yariv Aloni,Associate Music Director

“When the musicians are playing this well, the critic can pay attention to the interpretation and here Aloni pierced unerringly to the heart of the music.”

Deryk Barker, “Youth Orchestra Performs Brahms with Mastery,”
Victoria Times Colonist, Feb.14, 2005

Described as “a musician of considerable insight and impeccable taste”, violist Yariv Aloni performs in major concert halls around the world. Mr. Aloni has studied with Michael Tree, Daniel Benyamini, former principal violist of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, and David Chen at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. He is a graduate of the Jerusalem Music Centre where he studied with Ilona Feher, Isaac Stern, the Amadeus Quartet and other internationally recognized musicians. He was Assistant Principal Violist with the Schleswig-Holstein Festival Orchestra under the direction of the late Leonard Bernstein. His education also includes chamber music studies with the Guarneri String Quartet at the University of Maryland.

As a conductor Mr. Aloni has received praise for his impassioned, inspiring, and “magnificently right” interpretations of major orchestral and choral repertoire. In addition to his studies with János Sándor, he has worked with Gustav Meyer and with Helmuth Rilling at the Oregon Bach Festival. Acclaimed by critics for his sensitivity, virtuosity and expressive tone, Yariv Aloni performs as soloist, recitalist and chamber musician. Former violist with the Aviv and Penderecki Quartets, Mr. Aloni has performed in the major concert halls around the world, including Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Centre in New York, Tonhalle in Zurich and the Louvre in Paris. He has collaborated with many distinguished musicians including Isaac Stern, Pinchas Zukerman, Mischa Maisky, and Christoph Eschenbach. He has recorded for the CBC, BBC, National Public Radio, Radio France and Israeli Radio. Mr. Aloni can also be heard on compact discs issued by the United, Marquise, Tritonus, and CBC labels.

Mr. Aloni has served on the faculties of Wilfrid Laurier University, the Utah Music Festival, and Jerusalem Music Center, among others, and has presented master classes at Acadia University, Brandon University, the University of British Columbia and the University of Victoria. Mr. Aloni was actively involved with the Comox Valley Youth Music Centre for nearly fifteen years as faculty member, conductor, and Artistic Director. The Associate Music Director of the GVYO since 2002, he also serves as Music Director of the Galiano Ensemble of Victoria and the Victoria Chamber Orchestra.