LISZT FERENCACADEMY OF MUSICBUDAPEST • HUNGARY

The Liszt Academy established by Liszt Ferenc in 1875 is a renowned institution of international music higher education. With the recent inauguration of its highly modern educational centre named after György Ligeti and the completion, in 2013, of the main building after a reconstruction project lasting three years, the institution has regained all its original Art Nouveau splendour and has been outfitted with 21st century technology. Students of the Liszt Academy are educated following the institution’s century-old spirit of traditions and progressivity while they can breathe in the inspiring atmosphere of the concert hall with its international concert life. Those recommended by their professors might even make their debut in the world-renowned Grand Hall or the Sir Georg Solti Chamber Hall. Staff of the Liszt Academy Concert Centre provide them with a solid professional background to help them launch their career and experience what performing in the limelight means.

"As president of the Liszt Academy, I regard it as my obligation not just to preserve the past and our traditions, but to find rejuvenation, a unique voice and profile."

Dr. Andrea Vigh, President of the Liszt Academy

"For six years, I received the most significant part of my formal musical education at the Liszt Academy."

Sir Georg Solti

"Liszt is to piano playing what Euclid is to geometry."

Alan Walker

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■ Ranked among the top 10 conservatories worldwide

■ The premier institute of the Hungarian music education system

■ The most attractive university in Hungary for international students

■ The Kodály Pedagogical Institute of the Liszt Academy in Kecskemét - a distinguished international centre for advanced studies in Kodály education programmes

STUDY PROGRAMMES

Programmes cover extensive genres of music – 6-semester Bachelor (BA), 4-semester Master (MA), DLA, PhD programmes:

■ Classical music – instrumental, vocal, opera

■ Conducting – orchestral, choral

■ Composition – classical, electronic, composing for motion picture and theatre

■ Music pedagogy, Music education (incl. Kodály pedagogy MA), teacher training

■ Jazz

■ Traditional folk music

Other programmes:

■ Piano soloist (postgraduate artist diploma)

■ School of Exceptional Young Talents (aged 10–18)

■ Doctoral programmes (PhD/DLA)

■ non-degree programmes (preparatory, specialisation)

Limited number of carefully selected students admitted total number of students: under 900 percentage of international students: 20%.

Students are served by the University Library with the largest and richest musical collection in Hungary.

THE UNIVERSITY

The Liszt FERENC Academy of Music in Budapest is the only music academy in the world that was founded by Liszt.

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TOP QUALITY EDUCATION

■ Students enjoy one-to-one classes with internationally renowned professors in high-end classrooms

■ The passionate, perfectionist and supportive teaching method with a personalized curriculum helps to achieve a highly professional level

■ The uniquely close, personal relationship with the professors and the focus on the meaning of music result in dramatic individual development in students’ performance

■ Numerous international projects involving other major music and art universities

STUDENT LIFE

■ Master classes

■ great variety, specific master classes to complete the curriculum

■ highly renowned artists and professors are invited to enhance the professional experience of students

■ Performance opportunities

■ chamber music has a special flavour and importance, there are numerous high quality chamber ensemble formations to broaden the experience of ensemble-playing

■ various orchestral and choral opportunities at the most prestigious venues

■ jazz and folk bands

■ Apart from having their own performance opportunities in the Academy concert halls, students can also enjoy Liszt Academy's public concert programmes free of charge, and they have easy access to the rich and dynamic cultural life of Budapest

■ Summer courses, academies

■ Diverse international community from all over the world

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BÉLA bartók, ZOLTÁN kodály AND THE WALDBAUER-kerpely QUARTET (1910)

© ALADÁR SZÉKELY / MTA BTK ZTI, BARTÓK ARCHIVE

ZOLTÁN KOCSIS (1988)

© GÁBOR FEJÉR

SIR GEORG SOLTI (1987)

© GÁBOR FEJÉR

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A MUSIC SCHOOL OF THE MOST NOTAB LE ALUMNI OF THE 20TH CENTURY B ÉL A BA RTÓ K , L EÓ WEI N ER , ERNŐ DOHNÁNYI, ZOLTÁN KODÁLY, GYÖRGY SOLTI , ANTAL DOR ÁTI , GYÖRGY SEBŐK, JÁNOS STARKER , TAMÁ S VÁ SÁRY, PÉTER FR ANKL, GYÖRGY PAUK, GYÖRGY LIGETI , ZOLTÁN KOCSIS , GYÖRGY KURTÁG, DEZSŐ R ÁNKI , ANDR Á S SCHIFF, PÉTER EÖT VÖS, MIKLÓS PERÉNYI , ÉVA MARTON.. .

WWW.LISZTACADEMY.HU/ALUMNI

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MAIN BUILDING – A MASTERPIECE

OF ART NOUVEAU STYLE

One of the most impressive examples of Central European Art Nouveau architecture, this has been a bastion of music teaching and at the same time Hungarian concert life since 1907. The foundations were actually laid by Ferenc Liszt, although he never lived to see the inauguration of this imposing structure. Many great names started from here: Ernő Dohnányi, Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály, and in their wake György Cziffra, Annie Fischer, György (Sir Georg) Solti and György Ligeti began their careers here.

The Grand Hall, restored to its original splendour and bearing the stylistic flourishes of Hungarian Art Nouveau, is famed as a concert venue, and not only because of its decorative elements reminiscent of the Dionysian and Apollonian symbolic system; it has been world-renowned for more than a century due to its unparalleled acoustics. In the course of reconstruction the numerous classrooms and smaller performance venues in the building have been fitted with modern furniture, lighting and heating systems, acoustic panels and perfect insulation from external noise. The Sir Georg Solti Chamber Hall has also been reborn: with its orchestral pit created to the original plans and modern stage machinery, this is a unique venue for chamber opera performances and ensemble concerts. It is to these enchanting performance venues that the world’s leading artists have returned time and time again over the past century.

GRAND HALL: 860 SEATS

SIR GEORG SOLTI CHAMBER HALL: 300 SEATS

THE VENUES

SIR GEORG SOLTI CHAMBER HALL

© JUDIT MARJAI

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The place where Bartók, Kodály,

Dohnányi, Hubay, Weiner taught and played.

© JUDIT MARJAI

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THE VENUES

The Old Academy of Music – a historical Classicist building The Academy of Music used this building from 1879 to 1907. Liszt, the founding president and professor of the Academy, who refused a salary for his teaching, received a service apartment in the building of the Old Academy of Music. This apartment on the 1st floor is today a memorial museum, furnished with his instruments, furniture, library and memorabilia. The building houses the Church Music Department, organ, harpsichord and harp classes are held here, as are some of the following: language courses and chamber music, strings and guitar classes. The Chamber Hall is a venue for public and university concerts, exams and auditions.

The Ligeti BuildingAs of September 2011, the innovatively reconstructed former schoolbuilding at Wesselényi street houses the management and the administration. The building also contains lecture rooms suitable for teaching both theoretical and music subjects, a professional studio also appropriate for the organization of chamber concerts, and 28 practice rooms, which are at the disposal of academy students seven days a week, from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

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The Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum is situated in the building of the Old Academy of Music. It is the second largest Liszt Museum in the world and works in close cooperation with the Musico-historical Research Library, supervised by the Liszt Ferenc Research Centre. The collection consists of instruments, personal objects, original manuscripts and copies of scores, letters and documents both original or copies, photographs, paintings, art objects, small printed matter and press cuttings.

The Zoltán Kodály Memorial Museum is in the building of Kodály’s apartment at Kodály Körönd. The collection served as the basis for the Kodály Archives.

The Kodály InstituteThe Kodály Pedagogical Institute of the Liszt Academy provides MA and non-degree training programmes for both Hungarian and international students in the field of Hungarian music pedagogy and methodology based on the music pedagogical concept developed by the renowned Hungarian composer, educator and researcher, Zoltán Kodály. The Institute has had a profound influence on several generations of music educators across the world who have come to study in Kecskemét and have participated in the Institute's biannual and summer courses.

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The Liszt Academy is located in the very centre of the historic city, only blocks away from the Opera House and the best theatres, amidst stylish cafés and restaurants. International visitors and students are all amazed by the dynamic concert life they find in Budapest.

There is a huge variety of top-level classical music, jazz and world music performances, although Hungary is also renowned for its characteristic and passionate Hungarian folk music and dance as well as the special dance house programmes organized to keep these traditions alive. In certain restaurants and cafés you can listen to genuine Gypsy music performed by highly gifted Roma musician families.

Trendy cafés, pubs and restaurants serving various cuisines are nearby and Budapest is proud to have the No. 1 and No. 3 most popular bars in the world. Students especially appreciate the ruinpubs that lend a special flavour to the vibrant nightlife of the capital.

LOCATION: IN THE HEART OF BUDAPEST

11© GYÖRGY DARABOS

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CONTACT

IMPRESSUM

POSTAL ADDRESSLiszt Ferenc Academy of MusicH-1061 BudapestLiszt Ferenc tér 8.HUNGARYPhone: +36 1 462 4600info@lisztacademy.huwww.lisztacademy.hu

PUBLISHERDr. Andrea Vigh, President of the Liszt Academy

EDITOR IN CHIEFImre Szabó Stein

PHOTOSGyula Czimbal György Darabos Andrea FelvégiGábor FejérJudit MarjaiAladár Székely / MTA BTK ZTI, Bartók ArchiveKata Schiller

LAYOUT & PRINT PREPARATIONAllison Advertising Kft.

PRINTINGKeskeny és Társai 2001 Kft.

Published by the Communications Directorate of the Liszt Academy

© GYÖRGY DARABOS

WWW.LISZTACADEMY.HU