Béla Fischer

For nearly 40 years, Béla Fischer has been a sought-after musician across a wide range of musical genres – whether as a pianist, composer, musical director, or arranger for shows, revues, ballets, operas, operettas, or musicals. He was born in Bratislava and studied violin and composition with Dezider Kardoš at the Conservatory and the Academy of Music in his hometown. In 1974, he founded the A. Moyses String Quartet and was, among other roles, concertmaster and conductor of the folklore ensemble Lúčnica. His compositional work includes musicals, instrumental pieces, and a requiem that was performed in Vienna in 2009 and in Budapest in 2011. He has also composed works for the Lehár Festival Orchestra in Bad Ischl, the Bratislava Music Festival, and the Vienna Life Ball, which opened with Béla Fischer’s fanfare from 2006 to 2018.

He has served as bandleader and musical director at various theaters in Austria and abroad and has appeared on television and radio. He has collaborated with renowned artists such as Dagmar Koller, Topsy Küppers, André Heller, Heinz Zednik, Paul Foster, Robert Meyer, Gerhard Ernst, and Thomas Stroux.

Since 1985, he has also worked as a ballet répétiteur – initially at the Ballet School of the Austrian Federal Theatres, from 1990 to 1993 at the Vienna State Opera, and since 1997 at the Volksoper Vienna. For the latter, he has contributed numerous compositions and arrangements, including for the ballets Nudo, Alice in Wonderland, Max and Moritz, Ein Reigen and City Life. He also took on the musical direction for Häuptling Abendwind (directed by Robert Meyer) and for several soirées.

On 17 April 2025, Béla Fischer was awarded the professional title of Professor by Federal President Alexander van der Bellen.