A conductor on five continents has died

We are sad to report the death of Peter Sandor Erös, a much-liked conductor whose flight from Hungary in 1956 led to the most international of careers. Peter, who was almost 82, was immediately accepted in Amsterdam as associate conductor of the Concertgebouw orchestra, moving on to a similar position with Georg Szell at the Cleveland Orchestra.

He was music director of the Malmö Symphony Orchestra(1966–69) in Sweden, with the Australian radio orchestras orchestras (1967–69, 1975–79), the San Diego Symphony and La Jolla CO and the Aalborg Symphony (1982–89) in Denmark. In addition, he made nine tours of South Africa, conducted the Israel Philharmonic and established a foothold in the Far East. Peter was truly international.

A gifted teacher, Peter’s Amsterdam students included the Dutch conductors Hans Vonk and Edo De Waart.