Kornel Thomas

Kornel Thomas is an award-winning conductor and composer. He won the 4^th Lawson-May Award for composition at the Solent Music Festival, the 2024 International Clarinet Association New Music Composition Competition Solo Category award, 2^nd Prize in composition at the 2023 5^th Zodiac International Music Competition, 2^nd Prize at the 2022 Bartok World Competition in Composition, two prizes at the 2020 MUPA Composers Competition, 2^nd Prize and two special prizes at the 2018 Opera Nice Conducting Competition and 3^rd Prize at the 2016 Atlantic Coast Conductors Competition. His works have been premiered at grand institutions such as Palace of the Arts Budapest, Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest Music Center, and Ithaca College.

In 2021, he made his debut with the Hungarian State Opera and Ballet by conducting Heggie’s Dead Man Walking and has since become a recurring guest conductor. Thomas was assistant conductor of Savaria Symphony Orchestra from 2017-2020, and staff conductor with the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra from 2019-2020. He has guest conducted numerous renowned professional ensembles such as Dohnányi Orchestra Budafok, Győr Philharmonic Orchestra, MAV Symphony Orchestra, Miskolc Symphony Orchestra, Szent István Philharmonic, Nice Philharmonic Orchestra, Argovia Philharmonic, North Czech Philharmonic Orchestra Teplice, Fort Wayne Philharmonic, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and ORF Vienna Radio Symphony Orchestra. Thomas studied conducting at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and composition at the Saint Stephen King Conservatory Budapest.