Rudolf Borst (1909-00)	May 19 00

Rudolf Borst died silently on February 18, at the age of 91. He was born as the seventh, youngest child of a lime burner in Felsogalla, Hungary, living very poor in a room and kichen flat. He started playing the trumpet at the age of 14 at the new established junior orchestra of the village. After the army band in Budaörs in 1926 he went to the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music Budapest. His professor was András Dámit, first trumpeter of the Opera, then from 1932 Vilmos Ernoházi-Neuner for two years. By that time he was performing as a substitute for the State Opera Orchestra. Rudolf Borst After Dámit's death he declined to apply for the position of first trumpet, thinking that there were older and more experienced colleagues to take the job. Yet the management of the orchestra had something else on their minds. A second audition was announced and he was asked to participate. He played Böhme's Tarantella accompanied by János Ferencsik at the piano. He was immediately offered the position and served as solo trumpeter for 38 years, from 1932 until his retirement in 1972. After his retirement his gray hair appeared in the orchestra from time to time, even at the age of 85! He was never ambitious for a "solo career," however the sound of his trumpet can be heard on several recordings. He performed with the State Opera Orchestra and the Orchestra of the Philharmonic Society under Dobroven, Dohnányi, Failoni, Fricsay, Kleiber, Klemperer, Mengelberg, Ferencsik and Patane. Their enthusiasm for his playing made him legendary all over Europe. In 1948 he made his first appearance at the Hungarian Radio as a conductor of the Budapest Concert Brass Band. But his close relationship with the Ganz Brass Band had begun in 1932, when he appeared with that group as soloist, and this relationship was maintained for 68 years. Beside his work at the Opera from the 1940's on, he also taught at the Béla Bartók Conservatory of Music, and from 1954 at the Teachers Training College of the Academy of Music, bringing up generations to the love of trumpet music. His books: the Chord Exercises, the Trumpet Duos and the Trumpet Music are well known and respected all over the world: "One has to play the trumpet well and fine. This is actually what's all about… Playing Mozart differently from Wagner or Bartok from Puccini.. Just PLAY MUSIC, written in block letters…" Even at the age of 90 his day started with warm-ups and practicing. He lived only for his trumpet and his wife, Marika. His legendary Heckel trumpet always lay prepared on the top of the piano. I seem to hear his voice talking with a forgiving smile: "…nicht zu…" "One shouldn't carry matters too far…" Source: Karoly Komlossy, Hungarian Trumpet Guild

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