[2][3] He graduated in 1979 as conductor and was awarded the Sir Georg Solti Scholarship, studying with Karl Österreicher in Vienna.

[3] Ligeti was with the Hungarian State Opera House between 1977 and 1985, first as concertmaster, then as chief conductor, where he performed much of the central repertoire.

With the Budapest Symphony he gave tours to Great Britain, Japan and Korea, and the orchestra's first visit to Australia in 1994.

[9] In 1998 he made his UK operatic debut with a new production of Bizet's Carmen for Opera North, directed by Phyllida Lloyd.

[2][10] In 1999 he also gave acclaimed performances of The Damnation of Faust by Berlioz at the Perth Festival with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.