Szilveszter Ókovács is an opera singer and television professional who serves as the General Director of the Hungarian State Opera House. Born in Veszprém, he graduated from Lovassy High School. He pursued his musical studies at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Győr, where he earned a degree as a private singing teacher, and continued his opera studies at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest, where he also obtained a DLA degree. After teaching private singing and opera history, he held the positions of Executive Director at the Erkel Theatre and later the Director of Communications at the Hungarian State Opera House. He briefly stepped away from the opera world; from 2002, he hosted cultural and public affairs programs on HírTv, and later became the CEO of Duna Television. Since 2011, he has dedicated his life to the Hungarian State Opera House, initially as a government commissioner and subsequently as General Director, working tirelessly for the cause of Hungarian opera. His collected writings have been published under the title "Kritikám alul," and he has been involved in several productions, films, librettos, and translations. In 2022, he was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary. He is the longest-serving General Director in the history of the Hungarian State Opera House.