Who doesn't know him, the likeable, amiable, thoroughly talented, pure musical soul: Iván Fischer. From Klassiek Centraal he received a Golden Label Podium in 2012 for his unforgettable Wagner program.
Anyone who had the pleasure of experiencing it as a listener remembers it like yesterday. A pleasant bonus of the presentation at deSingel was that he speaks perfect Dutch. Unfortunately, my Hungarian is limited to 'jo napot' (good day). Now in March 2026 this friendly man receives the Concertgebouw Prize. Deservedly so.
'A true artiste. Everything he touches turns into something new.'
Amsterdam, 26 November 2025 – The Concertgebouw Prize will be awarded on 16 March 2026 to Hungarian conductor and composer Iván Fischer. Fischer receives the prize for his exceptional contribution to the artistic profile of Het Concertgebouw, where he has already conducted more than 150 concerts and will also take the podium eight times this season. With the awarding of the Concertgebouw Prize, Iván Fischer joins an illustrious company that includes conductor Bernard Haitink, violinist Janine Jansen, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and trumpeter Wynton Marsalis. This is the fifteenth time the Concertgebouw Prize has been awarded.
Conductor Iván Fischer: 'If I, like the Trojan prince Paris, had been tasked with choosing which of the world's concert halls is the most beautiful, most festive and most attractive, then I would award the golden apple to Het Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.'
Iván Fischer and Het Concertgebouw
Iván Fischer's special bond with Het Concertgebouw and the city of Amsterdam dates back to 1987, when he first conducted the Concertgebouw Orchestra. The program featured Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra. Since then he has conducted more than 150 concerts in Het Concertgebouw, particularly with the Concertgebouw Orchestra and his own Budapest Festival Orchestra but also with the European Union Youth Orchestra and the Gustav Mahler Youth Orchestra. Fischer also lived in Amsterdam for a long time and mastered the Dutch language. He is known for his original approach, for example having the audience sit among the orchestra and regularly presenting theatrical programs. Iván Fischer also composes for choir and orchestra. His moving 'Sait gesunt' for the National Women's Youth Choir sounded in Het Concertgebouw. His concerts with the Budapest Festival Orchestra during the Mahler Festival 2025 were seen by the press as a highlight of the festival.
Simon Reinink, general director of Het Concertgebouw, speaks about the awarding of the Concertgebouw Prize: "Iván Fischer is a true artiste. Averse to routine. Everything he touches turns into something new, as if it were sounding for the first time. And always with a fine sense of humour. A concert with Iván is more than a concert, it is a total experience". Iván Fischer is known for his special concerts, for example the concert 'Inside Out' where the audience sat among the musicians of the Concertgebouw Orchestra Amsterdam.
Concertgebouw Prize
The Concertgebouw Prize, which is being awarded for the fifteenth time during a festive gala dinner in the Grand Hall, is an initiative of the boards and directors of Het Concertgebouw and Het Concertgebouw Fund. The prize is intended for musicians who have contributed to the artistic profile of Het Concertgebouw over an extended period. Previous laureates were Cecilia Bartoli (2004), the Beaux Arts Trio (2006), Bernard Haitink (2007), the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra (2009), Maurizio Pollini (2010), Thomas Hampson (2011), Janine Jansen (2013), Yo-Yo Ma (2014), John Eliot Gardiner (2016), the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra/Grand Broadcast Choir (2017), the Hagen Quartet (2019), Wynton Marsalis (2021), Jaap van Zweden (2023) and Joyce DiDonato (2024). The Concertgebouw Prize consists of a work of art and permanent name recognition on the honour board opposite the soloist staircase of the Grand Hall.
