(1923-1985)
Born in Budapest, Frigyes Róna first attended the National Music Institute (now the Béla Bartók Conservatory) between 1940 and 1944, where he studied music composition under János Hammerschlag, Endre Szervánszky and László Lajtha. He was then inducted into labour service. After returning home, he continued his studies at the Budapest Academy of Music (now the Liszt Academy), where he completed his training as a conductor under János Ferencsik. He graduated in 1948, and went on to conduct several orchestras, joining the Ministry ofthe Interior Symphony Orchestra in 1949, the Győr Philharmonic Orchestra in 1952, the National Theatre of Miskolc and the Miskolc Municipal Symphony Orchestra in 1953 and the Katona József Theatre in Kecskemét in 1958.
He remained in Kecskemét until 1963, when he left to spend three years in Ghanateaching music composition and conducting in the music department of the university there. There, he also organised an opera ensemble composed of Ghanaian and American singers, with the aim of popularising European classical music in the African country. Returning to Hungary in 1966, he was employed at the Opera, where he served as a conducting répétiteur until 1968 and as a conductor until his death in 1985. In addition to this work, he was also the pianist for the “Hungarian Trio” and the chief conductor of the Salgótarján Municipal Symphony Orchestra. He translated several opera and operetta librettos, and also wrote the text for children's operas and musicals. He also composed incidental music for the plays of Shakespeare.
