60 Seconds with a Great Conductor

Manchester Camerata's Music Director designate Gabor Takács-Nagy leads the orchestra in performances of Elgar and Mozart at this Saturday's Concert as part of the Leeds Concert Series.  He spared 60 seconds in a very busy rehearsal schedule to answer some crucial and revealing questions!

- How long have you been working with Manchester Camerata
Since January 2010- What has been the highlight of your Orchestral career to date? Being nominated to three excellent orchestras as Music Director (Manchester Camerata, Verbier Chamber Orchestra and MAV Symphony orchestra, Budapest)
- Who has been the biggest influence on your career? My three chamber music teachers at the Liszt Academy (Andras Mihaly, Ferenc Rados and Gyorgy Kurtag)
- When did you start playing? At the age of 8
- What was your earliest musical experience? My great grandmother singing folk songs when I was 4
- Do you enjoy practising or find it a chore? I am not practising anymore
- Do you play any other musical instruments? Only viola
- Were your parents musical? No
- If you could play a different instrument what would it be? A singer
- What piece of music do you most enjoy playing? Always the piece I am working on as soon as I feel close to it
- What is you favourite piece of music? Always the piece I am working on as soon as I feel close to it
- What’s the best and worst things about touring with the orchestra? To both questions - the human factor
- How do you deal with pre-concert nerves? By trying to be myself and not wishing to impress anyone
- When was the last time you went to a concert as a member of the audience? To my student's concert in October
- What was the first record that you bought with your own money? Mahler 5th Symphony conducted by Barbirolli
- What was the last CD you bought? Mozart Sinfonia Concertante KV 297B
- When you have time off how do you relax? Walking with my wife in the forest
- Who would you invite to a dinner party (historical, musical or otherwise – living or dead!)? Joseph Joachim, Joseph Haydn, Furtwängler, Carlos Kleiber, Simon Rattle, Claudio Abbado and Roger Federer
- What music do you listen to in the car? The pieces that I am working on at that time
- What’s your favourite drink? Our own fruit juice made from our own fruit
- If you weren’t a musician, what would you be? Actor or doctor (brain specialist)
- Where’s your favourite holiday destination? In the Swiss mountains
- What is your favourite book? Anna Karenina
- What's your favourite film? Casablanca
- What's your most annoying habit? Talking too much
- And your favourite concert hall? Wigmore Hall

You can see Gabor Takács-Nagy and Manchester Camerata at Leeds Town Hall this Saturday as part of the Leeds Concert Series.