Lakatos Vilmos

Lakatos Vilmos was born in 1971 and began playing the violin at the age of five. His talent became evident at an early age: in 1981 he joined the world-renowned Rajkó Orchestra, where he later became a primás and eventually its lead primás. During his years with the ensemble, he completed his musical studies and performed with the Rajkó Orchestra in numerous countries around the world, representing the rich tradition of Hungarian Roma music.

In 1994, he passed the professional examination for performing musicians with the highest “A” classification. His years with the Rajkó Orchestra, where he remained until 1997, laid the foundations for his subsequent career as a primás, violinist and orchestra leader.

For six years, he performed as primás at Budapest’s Hotel Taverna. With his own trio, he gave concerts in countries including Japan, Italy, Thailand and Sweden. One particularly distinctive achievement of his career was arranging Emmerich Kálmán’s celebrated operetta The Csárdás Princess for a traditional Gypsy orchestra. He later also served as orchestra leader at Budapest’s historic Mátyás Pince.

His artistic career has been recognised with several prestigious national and professional honours. In 2012, he received the Hungarian Silver Cross of Merit, followed by the Dankó Pista Lifetime Achievement Award in 2021. In 2024, he was awarded the Hungarian Gold Cross of Merit.

Today, Lakatos Vilmos continues his decades-long artistic career as a member of the Hungarian Royal Gypsy Orchestra. His playing combines the traditions of the Rajkó school, the heritage of the great Hungarian primás tradition and the experience gained over decades of performing on international stages.