One of the most prominent conductors of his generation, Iván Fischer has established a reputation in both Hungarian and Baroque music. His interpretations of works by Liszt, Bartók, and Kodály have achieved international acclaim, and his readings of Hungarian-inspired works, like the Brahms Hungarian Dances (in Fischer's own orchestration), have also received high praise. Yet Fischer's choice of repertory is fairly broad, taking in works by Mozart, Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, and many others out of the Hungarian sphere. He is the founder and musical director of the Budapest Festival Orchestra. His recordings, especially those with the Budapest Festival Orchestra, have earned a number of awards, including the 2009 Diapason d'Or de l'Année (Mahler: Symphony No. 4). In 2021, Fischer was heard leading the Budapest Festival Orchestra in a recording of Brahms' Symphony No. 3 and Serenade No. 2.