Hamar started to play the piano at the age of six and later studied composition at the Béla Bartók Conservatoire. He followed university studies at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest, where he had courses in composition with Emil Petrovics and in conducting with Ervin Lukacs and Tamas Gallon He graduated in 1995.
He had meanwhile conducted nearly all symphonic orchestras in Hungary. In 1997 he was invited by musical director Zoltan Kocsis to become first permanent conductor of the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra. In 1998 Hamar assisted Lorin Maazel for Verdi’s Don Carlos at the Salzburger Festspiele.
From 2000 until 2009 September he was music director of Pannon Philharmonics – Pécs.
He was permanent guest conductor of the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto. Zsolt Hamar is a regular guest at various concert halls in Europe, also in Japan and in the United States of America.
In the following years he won 2nd prize and public prize of the 8th International Competition in conducting of the Hungarian Television, the 2nd prize of the Conductors Competition in Cadaques in 1996, the 1st prize of the International Conductors Competition of the Portuguese Radio in 1997 and the 1st prize of the 6th International Antonio Pedrotti Conductors Competition in Trento.
