My thought, in creating the Solti Foundation, was to remember my husband’s life in a meaningful, practical way, by providing grants to young conductors to help them move forward into the future. As time passes, it is easy to forget the struggle, the years of waiting and deprivation that Solti had to go through before he finally achieved a full fledged career at the age of 34.

I have recently discovered some of his old letters which reflect his sense of desperation that an opportunity to conduct would forever be denied to him. In the end, he was lucky and an ex fellow music student (an American), Edward Kilenyi from Tallahassee, got him a ride in a US jeep to Munich and Stuttgart where he was given his first opportunity to conduct after nine fallow years.

Life is still very hard for young musicians and particularly for conductors. There are just not enough conductorships available, but the pool of talented young Maestros grows with every year. This is why the grants for career development are so important. The extra money to buy scores and CDs or even a second hand piano, the money to travel to watch performances by the great orchestras with their Maestros, money to attend masterclasses… all helping aspiring conductors prepare for the moment when opportunity presents itself.

I would like to thank everyone of you who has contributed so generously to the Solti Foundation to make all this possible and to congratulate our awardees who with their brilliant talent are fulfilling Solti’s dream more than he could ever have imagined. I am very grateful to you all.