Martin Rajna has been appointed to the position of principal conductor of the Hungarian State Opera for the upcoming 2023-2024 season.

This season, Rajna, 27, will conduct Verdi’s “Attila” and Rossini’s “L’ italiana in Algeri;” he will also oversee new productions of “Don Giovanni” and “Il Barbiere di Siviglia.” The conductor previously led productions of “Die Entführung aus dem Serail,” “Die Fledermaus,” and “King Pomádé’s New Clothes” with the company.

Rajna, this year’s scholarship recipient of the ForumDirigenten programme by the German Music Council and a Conducting Fellowship at the Lucerne Festival Academy, made his opera conducting debut at the Gyor National Theater in 2020, leading a performance of Mozart’s “Die Entführung aus dem Serail.” A year later, he was appointed as the chief conductor of the Gyor Philharmonic Orchestra, where he conducted a performance of “Bluebeard’s Castle,” among other showcases.

In addition to the announcement of Rajna’s appointment, the company also revealed that Péter Halász, who was the former general director of the Hungarian State Opera between 2013-16, will return as principal guest conductor for the 2023-24 season.

Moreover, the company announced that the Chamber Singer title will be bestowed upon tenor Szabolcs Brickner, bass István Kovács, and baritone Csaba Szegedi.

All these announcements were made by general director Szilveszter Ókovács.