Andras Sebestyen

Andras Sebestyen was born on 6 February 1917 in Debrecen (Hungary). He studied cello under Adolf Schiffer and Jenö Kerpely and also composition under Zoltan Kodaly at the Franz Liszt Music Academy in Budapest. He finished his studies in 1940 and - so it seems - went for a career as conductor and official. In his first years Andras Sebestyen was conductor at the Csokonai Theatre in Debrecen, later at the Pioneers' and at the National Theatre in Budapest. Between 1959 and 1984 he was finally chief editor of the music department of the Magyar Radio es Televizio (MRT), the national Hungarian broadcasting organisation. In this position he also conducted the symphony orchestra of the MRT multiple times and recorded several records with mainly light and film music. Andras Sebestyen died in 1995.

The work catalogue of Andras Sebestyen contains mainly compositions for wind orchestra and chamber music. He also composed some film music.

In my possession the autograph manuscript of the work "Scherzo for cello and piano" by Andras Sebestyen. The work was composed in 1947 and later published by Zenemükiado Vallalat, a publishing house in Budapest. My manuscript comes from the estate of the renowned Hungarian cellist Vera Denes (1915-1970) and has an inscription to her by the composer on the title page.