Based in Berlin, Victor was the Principal Oboe of the prestigious Budapest Festival Orchestra, under its founder-conductor Iván Fischer. He appeared with the Chamber Orchestra of Europe, the Lucerne Festival Orchestra, and as an active chamber musician. Victor also gave masterclasses at the world’s leading conservatoires.

Having developed great interest in conducting, he launched a career as a conductor after winning the Nestlé and Salzburg Festival Young Conductors’ Award, in 2014 – and we were thrilled to welcome him to the BSO, when he won the musicians’ vote two years later.

Victor spoke to Bournemouth Echo, in 2017, ahead of conducting at the Orchestra in Bournemouth’s Meyrick Park. He said, “I am very much looking forward to it […] I know it is a much-loved event, and I have never done anything like this in my career. It’s outdoors, there is a great rapport with the audience, and it is all very exciting.”

 

Victor conducted the Budapest Festival Orchestra in a series in which he appeared as both soloist and conductor, and conducted the Vienna Philharmonic (Salzburg Festival), Luxembourg Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, and Malmö Symphony orchestras among others.

Born in Montpellier, he studied oboe, piano and conducting in Paris, Zurich and Geneva. He became a member of the Karajan Academy of the Berlin Philharmonic, before becoming Principal Oboe in the Lucerne Festival Orchestra (and Orchestra Mozart) at the invitation of maestro Claudio Abbado

Bournemouth Echo, said: “Aviat, the BSO’s Young Conductor in Association was a delight at the podium, charming, wonderfully self-effacing and incredibly expressive.”

Heather Duncan, our Head of Concerts and Artistic Planning, said: “We send our most sincere condolences to Victor’s family, friends and loved ones, and his musical family at the Budapest Festival Orchestra.   Victor was supremely talented, had so much to give and his loss is felt deeply by so many people.   We remember him with fondness and gratitude.”

In addition to his busy life on the concert stage, Victor found time to paint, compose, and write poems, which he arranged as French songs. There is a wonderful tribute from Iván Fischer, which includes two performances from Victor – you can watch it here.