Sir Georg Solti (October 21, 1912 - September 5, 1997) was a well-known orchestral and operatic conductor, who was still actively engaged in performing right up until his death. Solti was born György Solti in Budapest, where he learned the piano and studied at the Franz Liszt Academy. By 1935, he was gaining recognition as a conductor, and made his debut at the Budapest Opera in 1938 with The Marriage of Figaro. Over the course of his distinguished career, Solti won thirty-eight Grammy awards, more than any other artist in any category. Solti was particularly known as a great conductor of Richard Wagner. He conducted the first-ever complete studio recording of Wagner's Der Ring des Nibelungen with the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. His performances and recordings of works by Verdi, Mahler and Bartók were also widely admired.