The death has taken place of the conductor and violinist János Fürst at the age of 71.
For more than three decades he had a close involvement with musical life in Ireland as both player and conductor with orchestras in Belfast and Dublin, where he was principal conductor of the RTÉ Symphony Orchestra from 1987 to 1989.
After fleeing his native Hungary in 1956 he completed his studies in Paris and Brussels, before joining the Radio Éireann Symphony Orchestra as a violinist in 1958.
He founded the Irish Chamber Orchestra in 1963 and in 1966 took up the post of leader with the newly founded Ulster Orchestra in Belfast. He later became the orchestra's assistant conductor.
After he left Belfast, he had his big professional break when he successfully stood in at short notice for an indisposed Rudolf Kempe, to conduct Mahler's First Symphony at the Royal Festival Hall in London.
Mahler featured large in his concerts when he returned to regular work in Dublin in 1987. He introduced opera - Richard Strauss's Elektraand the first act of Wagner's Die Walküre- to the RTÉSO's subscription series and gave memorable performances of major choral works.
He also conducted a 1988 production of Mozart's Don Giovanni, directed by Patrick Mason and designed by Joe Vanek, which broke new ground for the Dublin Grand Opera Society.
Beyond Ireland he held posts in Marseilles in France (as music director of the opera) as well as with orchestras in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Switzerland.
He was appointed professor of conducting studies at the Paris Conservatoire in 1997 and had been due to take up a similar position at the Royal College of Music in London.
His 1987 RTÉSO recording of Mahler song cycles with Bernadette Greevy, was reissued on CD by Naxos in 1997.
János Fürst was due to conduct concerts with the Ulster Orchestra in Dublin and Belfast next week. His place will be taken by Kenneth Montgomery and those concerts will now be dedicated to his memory.
