# Ľudovít Rajter

Ľudovít Rajter (Hungarian: Rajter Lajos; 30 July 1906 – 6 July 2000) was a Slovak composer and conductor from Pezinok, Austria-Hungary.

## Origin

Rajter's evangelical family had roots among the German-Hungarian and Dutch communities. His father worked as a teacher, cantor, and choral conductor for the Lutheran church. Rajter's family migrated from southern Germany to Hungary during the reign of Maria Theresa (c.1740), at which time the family's surname was "Raiter" or "Rayter.” Rajter's family spoke Hungarian, German, and Slovak.

## Life
### Professional Background and Studies

Rajter began his musical training with his father, Lajos Rajter Sr. (1880–1945). He studied at the Town School for Music in Bratislava with Alexander Albrecht from 1915 to 1920. In 1924, he enrolled at the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, where he studied composition with Franz Schmidt and Joseph Marx, and conducting with Clemens Krauss and Alexander Wunderer. During this time, Rajter also worked as an assistant to Clemens Krauss until 1933.

### Pre-War Years: Bratislava, Salzburg, Budapest

In the four years following his studies in Vienna, he taught at the Municipal Music School in Bratislava and at the Mozarteum Summer School in Salzburg. In 1931 he moved to the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, located in Budapest, studying under Ernő Dohnányi. In January 1932, he appeared for the first time as guest conductor at the Hungarian Radio. In 1934, he became its official conductor, and in 1935, the first conductor of the national broadcaster in Budapest, and remained in this position until 1944. During these years he also served as a professor at the Academy of Music in Budapest. Rajter was invited to conduct several European orchestras during this time and premiered works of numerous Hungarian composers, including the Symphonic Minuets by Ernő Dohnányi.

### Post-war years: Bratislava

In 1946, Rajter returned to Czechoslovakia and worked until 1949 as chief of the Czecho-Slovak Radio Orchestra in Bratislava. In 1949, he co-founded (together with Václav Talich) the Slovak Philharmonic and became its first conductor. During the Stalinist period, Rajter was deemed "politically non-reliable" by the communist regime at the time, which led to a prohibition on his conducting. In 1953, after Stalin's death, he was once again appointed the head of the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra, where he remained until 1961. Ladislav Slovák was then appointed chief dignitary.
In 1966, Rajter led a Masterclass for Conductors at the Mozarteum in Salzburg during the Summer Academy.
In 1968 he returned as the chief conductor of the Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, remaining there until his retirement in 1976. In 1970 he conducted the nine symphonies by Ludwig van Beethoven for the first time in Bratislava as a complete cycle, a project for which he received the Ján Levoslav Bella Prize in the following year.
When the Academy of Performing Arts in Bratislava was founded, he taught there from 1949 to 1976. After his rehabilitation in 1991, he was awarded the title of professor.
Rajter continued to perform actively in concerts. In the 1990s, he was one of the oldest active conductors. Despite his age, he continued to receive invitations to perform with foreign orchestras. In 1991, Hungary appointed Rajter as an honorary member of the Savaria Symphony Orchestra in Szombathely for life.

### Death

On July 6, 2000, Rajter died in Bratislava and was buried in Pezinok.

## Albums (selection)

* Alexander Moyzes: Down The River Váh & Dances From The Hron Region, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra (Supraphon, OPUS)
* Eugen Suchoň: Metamorfózy, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (Supraphon, OPUS)
* Ján Cikker: Spomienky, Czech Philharmonic Orchestra (Supraphon, OPUS)
* Brahms: Symphonies 1 - 4, Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra (OPUS)
* Franz Schmidt: Symphonies 1 - 4, Czechoslovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (OPUS)
* Zemlinsky: Symphony No. 1 & Das Gläserne Herz, Czechoslovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (Marco Polo)
* Ludovit Rajter: Orchestral Works, Janácek Philharmonic Orchestra (CPO)

## Honors

* 1936: Dr.h.c. New York College of Music
* 1946: City of Bratislava award
* 1971: Prize of the Union of Slovak Composers
* 1987: The Gold Achievement Award of the publishing house OPUS, Bratislava (SK)
* 1989: National Artist of Czechoslovakia
* 1994: Bartók-Pásztory Award (Bartók-Pásztory-Díj)
* 1994: The Mayor of Bratislava Award
* 1996: Ján Levoslav Bella Prize
* 1997: Austrian Cross of Honour for Science and Art of the 1st Class
* 1997: Order of Ľudovít Štúr, 1st Class
* 1997: Honorary Cross for Science and Art of the Republic of Austria, 1st Class
* 1998: Crystal Wing
* 1999: Honorary chief conductor of the Slovak Philharmonic
* 2000: Honorary member of the Hungarian Academy of Arts
* 2005: Entry in the Golden Book of SOZA (Performing and Mechanical Rights Society)
* 2007: Pribina Cross of the first class / in memoriam (Pribinov kríž 1. triedy)
* 2011: Fra Angelico in memoriam Award
* 2017: Ján Cikker Price in memoriam (cena Jána Cikkera)