Hungarian-born American violist.

Ferenc Molnar was born in Budapest and studied at the Franz Liszt Academy, serving in the Hungarian army during World War I.

Molnar was the violist of the Roth Quartet (founded Budapest in 1922, leader Feri Roth) between 1926 and 1939. The quartet toured the USA, Canada and Mexico in 1928 at the invitation of Elizabeth Sprague Coolidge, and moved to the USA in the 1930s. Molnar became the principal violist of the San Francisco Symphony under Pierre Monteux in 1944 and held that position until 1963, while pursuing an active career as a solo concert artist. He taught music at San Francisco State University 1952–70. He died at the age of 89.

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