Ernesto Farago

Ernesto Farago, 92, of Alexandria, VA died on December 28, 2012. He was the beloved husband of the late Madeleine Farago and the loving father of Susan Farago Hackett and her husband, Gary. He was also a loving brother of Marcel Farago and the late Frank Farago. Dr. Farago was a world renowned concert violinist and area music educator. A funeral service was conducted at 1:00 p.m. Sunday, January 6, 2013 at Jefferson Funeral Chapel, 5755 Castlewellan Drive, Alexandria, VA. Interment was in King David Memorial Gardens, Falls Church, VA.

Ernesto Farago was born in Timisoara, Hungary, on May 18, 1920. He began his violin studies at the age of four with his father, who at the time was the dean of a local music conservatory. As a child prodigy he gave many recitals at the age of seven and eight. His violin studies followed with maestro Jeno Hubay in Budapest and Arrigo Serato and Giocondo de Vito in Rome, Italy. Other studies include American University, Washington DC, and University of Virginia, Charlottesville. Dr. Farago's music degrees came from the Academia di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Italy, Academia Chigiana, Sienna, Italy,and his master's degree from Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. He received his Doctorate in Music from the Music Academy Saint Cecilia in Rome, Italy in 1949. Dr. Farago has performed under the baton of Leonard Bernstein, Antal Dorati, Herbert von Karajan, and other renown conductors in Paris, Rome, Wigmore Hall in London, Carnegie Hall, Town Hall in New York, Academy of Music Philadelphia, National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC, Florida, California, Germany, Poland, and Spain. Dr. Farago premiered in Bernstein's Serenade with George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra, and Marcel Farago's Double Concerto for two solo violins and orchestra. On a tour to Russia in 1998 he performed Bernstein's monumental Serenade for violin and orchestra. Dr. Farago began his musical career in the United States In Philadelphia. After a mistaken audition, having planned to audition for the Cleveland Symphony Orchestra, but having gone to the wrong room, he was accepted into the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington, DC as first violinist. He remained with the National Symphony Orchestra for two seasons before moving on to pursue other endeavors. In 1953, Dr. Farago eager to share his musical background and knowledge, created the first Mobile Music School in the Country, along with his wife, Madeleine, and called it the Mobile Music School. He and his wife traveled from one location to another teaching students in a trailer. A few years later this enterprise became the Springfield Music Center, where the Faragos have instructed several generations of students. Some of their students have become members of major orchestras as players and conductors. In 1971 Dr. Farago established the International Artists Alliance which gave U.S. and International musicians a chance to travel across borders for concerts and performances. Dr. Farago taught music in his home in Alexandria, VA until the day of his final hospitalization due to a heart attack on December 21, 2012.