Liszt Award-winning conductor, Artist of Merit, choirmaster of the Hungarian National Choir since 1 April 2016. Throughout his career, he has focused simultaneously on vocal and instrumental music. With an artistic credo centred on passionate interpretation, he puts his energy into achieving a penetrative musical power that is goes beyond the level of mere professionalism.
He earned his degree at Budapest’s Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, first studying in the voice and music pedagogy and choral conducting courses, and later in the conducting course, under Ervin Lukács and Tamás Gál. He also completed master classes with Johannes Moesus, Jürgen Jürgens and Yuri Simonov. He has been active as a choir leader since the age of 22 and served for nearly 17 years as the choirmaster of the Vasas Ensemble Chorus. In 2002, he founded the Lajos Vass Chamber Choir, which he led until 2017. He has also worked as the music director of Debrecen’s Csokonai Theatre and later the National Theatre of Pécs, as well as holding the position of chief choirmaster of the Hungarian Radio Choir. He has appeared as a guest conductor and choirmaster with numerous Hungarian symphonic orchestras and professional choirs. Somos has also made guest appearances with orchestras in other countries, including the Salerno Philharmonic Orchestra in Italy and, in Japan, the Sakata Philharmonic Orchestra. He is frequently invited to Spain, Italy, Russia, Romania, Greece, Macedonia, Austria, Germany and China as both a choirmaster and conductor. A teacher at the Ferenc Liszt Academy of Music, he is regularly asked to serve as a jury member of musical competitions and festivals. He serves as the vice president of the Hungarian Association of Choirs, Orchestras and Folk Ensembles (KÓTA).
His professional work was recognised with a Rubányi Award, which was followed by a Liszt Award in 2014. In 2015, he earned his DLA, graduating summa cum laude. In recognition of his success presenting works by contemporary Hungarian composers and for his high-level choral development work at the head of the Hungarian National Choir, Somos was awarded the Knight's Cross (civilian grade) of the Hungarian Order of Merit in 2020. On the occasion of our national holiday on 15 March 2023 – in recognition of his outstanding and valuable artistic contributions in the areas of Hungarian national culture and artistic creativity – he was named a Hungarian Artist of Merit.
