About this Artist

OSZKÁR ÖKRÖS was born into a family of musicians in Szolnok in 1957. He began taking cimbalom lessons under his grandfather's guidance. At the age of 8, he was named Best Instrumental Soloist in the Hungarian Television folk music competition, and two years later he admitted to he Budapest Conservatory. As a student he performed for the widow of Aladár Rácz, the world-famous cimbalom player, who named the young musician the worthy successor of her husband.

After finishing his studies, he began to perform worldwide with Hungary's greatest folk ensembles, including the Budapest Ensemble, the Hungarian State Folk Ensemble, and the Honvéd Ensemble, appearing in North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. He has been cimbalom soloist for Hungarian Radio and Hungarian Television, and he has performed with the Budapest Festival Orchestra. He is currently soloist of the Budapest Gypsy Orchestra.

Ökrös has recorded with numerous ensembles, including the Budapest Festival Orchestra. He released his first solo album, The Cimbalom Wizard, in 1990. In 1974 Ökrös was invited to the birthday celebration of Queen Elizabeth II at the Palladium in London, where he performed alongside Josephine Baker, Tom Jones, and Roger Moore. He was awarded the Gold Merit Cross of the Hungarian Republic in 2001.