
He won third price at the Arturo Toscanini International Conducting Competition in Parma (1994) and at the Hungarian Television International Conductors’ Competition in Budapest (1995). Since 1993 he has regularly conducted the leading symphony orchestras in Hungary: the National Philharmonic Orchestra, the Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra, the Symphony Orchestra of the Hungarian Radio and Television, the Matáv Symphony Orchestra and the MÁV Symphony Orchestra.
Between 1995 and 1997 he was the the leader of the Hungarian Youth Radio Orchestra.In 1997 he founded the opera division of the Miskolc National Theatre and was its music director until 2002. In 2001 he was the founder music director of the Bartók+ International Opera Festival, a position he held for three years. From 1994 he was guest conductor, from 2001 conductor-in-residence of the Hungarian State Opera. In 2004 he was appointed artistic director of the BudaFest Summer Opera and Ballet Festival where he worked for four years. From 2005 to 2012 he was artistic director of the Szeged Open-Air Festival. Between 2005 and 2006 he held the position of music director at the Hungarian State Opera. In 2005 he was awarded the Liszt Prize.
Since 2011 he has been Director of the Bartók+ Opera Festival. In 2012 he became a Meritorious Artist. In 2013 he founded the Bartók+ Opera Composition Competition. He has worked as a guest conductor in several countries (Ukraine, Romania, Austria, Italy, France, Spain, Egypt, Japan, Chile, Peru, Oman, China).
Since 2016 he is the principal conductor of the Hungarian State Opera.
Contact: Luca Ceretta