The Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music ( hu, Liszt Ferenc Zeneművészeti Egyetem, often abbreviated as ''Zeneakadémia'', "Liszt Academy") is a music university and a concert hall in

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

, Hungary, founded on November 14, 1875. It is home to the

Liszt Collection The Liszt Collection contains over one million, generally nineteenth-century engravings and images. The Liszt Collection is an international project to preserve a portrayal of history through contemporary engravings, articles and books. The Liszt ...

, which features several valuable books and manuscripts donated by Franz Liszt upon his death, and the ''AVISO studio'', a collaboration between the governments of Hungary and Japan to provide sound recording equipment and training for students. The Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music was founded by Franz Liszt himself (though named after its founder only in 1925, approx. 50 years after it was relocated to its current location at the heart of Budapest).

Facilities

The Academy was originally called the "Royal National Hungarian Academy of Music" and it was also called "College of Music" from 1919 to 1925. It was then named after its founder Franz Liszt in 1925. It was founded in Liszt's home, and relocated to a three-story

Neo-Renaissance Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range ...

building designed by Adolf Láng and built on today's

Andrássy Avenue The House of Andrássy is the name of a Hungarian noble family of very ancient lineage that was prominent in Hungarian history. The full family name is ''Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka''. ''Csíkszentkirály'' is a town in modern ...

between 1877 and 1879. That location is referred to as "Old Academy of Music" and commemorated by a 1934 plaque made by Zoltán Farkas. It was repurchased by the academy in the 1980s, and is now officially known as "Ferenc Liszt Memorial and Research Center." Replacing the "Old Academy of Music", the Academy moved into a building erected in 1907 at the corner of Király Street and Liszt Ferenc square. It serves as a centre for higher education, music training, and concert hall. The Art Nouveau style building is one of the most well known in Budapest. It was designed by Flóris Korb and

Kálmán Giergl Kálmán Giergl (born as Koloman Giergl, 29 June 1863 in Pest, Hungary, Habsburg Empire – 10 September 1954 in Verőce, Hungary), was a Hungarian-German architect and a significant figure in the Austro-Hungarian eclectic architectural style. ...

at the request of Baron Gyula Wlassics, who was the Minister of Culture at that time. The

façade A façade () (also written facade) is generally the front part or exterior of a building. It is a loan word from the French (), which means ' frontage' or ' face'. In architecture, the façade of a building is often the most important aspect ...

is dominated by a statue of Liszt (sculpted by

Alajos Stróbl Alajos Stróbl (21 June 1856 – 13 December 1926) was a Hungarian sculptor and artist. His work is characterised by sensitive realistic modelling and he became one of the most renowned sculptors of memorials in Hungary at the turn of the ...

). The inside of the building is decorated with frescoes,

Zsolnay Zsolnay, or formally Zsolnay Porcelánmanufaktúra Zrt (Zsolnay Porcelain Manufactory Private Limited) is a Hungarian manufacturer of porcelain, tiles, and stoneware. The company introduced the eosin glazing process and pyrogranite ceramics. Hist ...

ceramics, and several statues (among them that of Béla Bartók and Frédéric Chopin). Originally the building also had stained glass windows, made by

Miksa Róth Miksa Róth (26 December 1865 – 14 June 1944) was a Hungarian mosaicist and stained glass artist responsible for making mosaic and stained glass prominent art forms in Hungarian art. In part, Róth was inspired by the work of Pre-Raphael ...

. Other facilities used by the Academy are the Budapest Teacher Training College, located in the former National Music School on Semmelweis Street, a secondary school (Bartók Béla Secondary School of Music, Instrument Making and Repair), and a student dormitory. Ever since its foundation, the Academy has been the most prestigious music university operating in Hungary. A major development in its history was the recent establishment of a new, independent Folk Music Faculty. The Franz Liszt Academy of Music is as much a living monument to Hungary's continued musical life, as it is to the country's musical past. Its president (rector) is

Andrea Vigh Andrea is a given name which is common worldwide for both males and females, cognate to Andreas, Andrey, Andrej and Andrew. Origin of the name The name derives from the Greek language, Greek word ἀνήρ (''anēr''), genitive ἀνδρός ...

Other names

* Liszt Ferenc Zeneművészeti Egyetem (2007–) * Liszt Ferenc Zeneművészeti Főiskola egyetemi ranggal (2000–2007) * Liszt Ferenc Zeneművészeti Főiskola (1925–2000) * Országos Magyar Zeneművészeti Főiskola (1918–1925) * Országos Magyar Királyi Zeneakadémia (1893–1918) * Országos Magyar Királyi Zene- és Színművészeti Akadémia (1887–1893) * Országos Magyar Királyi Zeneakadémia (1875–1887)

Notable alumni

* Márta Ábrahám *

Anneli Aarika-Szrok Eini Anneli Aarika-Szrok ( Fagerholm, 18 October 1924 – 2004) was a Finnish opera singer. Aarika-Szrok was born in October 1924 in Helsinki. She studied at the Sibelius Academy from 1944 to 1949, and then at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in ...

* Jenö Ádám * Eak-tai Ahn *

Géza Anda Géza Anda (; 19 November 192113 June 1976) was a Swiss- Hungarian pianist. A celebrated interpreter of classical and romantic repertoire, particularly noted for his performances and recordings of Mozart, he was also considered to be a tremendo ...

Gábor Bánát Gábor (sometimes written Gabor) may refer to: * Gábor (given name) * Gabor (surname) * Gabor sisters, the three famous actresses, Eva, Magda and Zsa Zsa * Several scientific terms named after Dennis Gabor ** Gabor atom ** Gabor filter, a lin ...

György Bánhalmi György () is a Hungarian version of the name ''George''. Some notable people with this given name: * György Alexits, as a Hungarian mathematician * György Almásy, Hungarian asiologist, traveler, zoologist and ethnographer, father of Lászl� ...

* Béla Bartók *

Munir Bashir Munir Bashir, ( ar, منير بشير, syr, ܡܘܢܝܪ ܒܫܝܪ) (1930 – September 28, 1997) was an Iraqi Assyrian musician and one of the most famous musicians in the Middle East during the 20th century and was considered to be the supreme m ...

* Omar Bashir * Sari Biró * Gergely Bogányi *

Margit Bokor Margit Bokor, born Margit Wahl, (1 June 1903 or 1 April 1900 – 9 November 1949 in New York City) was a Hungarian operatic soprano. She created the role of Zdenka in ''Arabella'' by Richard Strauss at the Semperoper in 1933, but then had to leav ...

* Nicolae Bretan *

Charles Brunner Charles M. Brunner (born April 15, 1952) is a Democratic politician from Michigan currently serving in the Michigan House of Representatives. He is a former mayor of Bay City. Prior to his time in elected office, Brunner was a teacher for 30 ...

Georges Cziffra Georges may refer to: Places * Georges River, New South Wales, Australia * Georges Quay (Dublin) *Georges Township, Fayette County, Pennsylvania Other uses *Georges (name) * ''Georges'' (novel), a novel by Alexandre Dumas * "Georges" (song), a 19 ...

* Krisztián Cser * Gábor Darvas *

José De Eusebio José is a predominantly Spanish and Portuguese form of the given name Joseph. While spelled alike, this name is pronounced differently in each language: Spanish ; Portuguese (or ). In French, the name ''José'', pronounced , is an old vernacul ...

Ernő Dohnányi Ernő or Erno is a Finnish and Hungarian masculine given name. Notable people with the name include: * Ernő Balogh (1897-1989), Hungarian pianist, composer, editor, and educator * Ernő Bánk (1883-1962), Hungarian painter and teacher * Ernő B ...

Antal Doráti Antal Doráti (, , ; 9 April 1906 – 13 November 1988) was a Hungarian-born conductor and composer who became a naturalized American citizen in 1943. Biography Antal Doráti was born in Budapest, where his father Alexander Doráti was a vi ...

Iván Erőd Iván Erőd ( hu, Erőd Iván ; 2 January 1936 – 24 June 2019; sometimes spelled ''Eröd'') was a Hungarian-Austrian composer and pianist. Educated in Budapest, he emigrated to Austria in 1956, where he studied at the Vienna Music Academy. He ...

* Peter Erős *

Ferenc Farkas Ferenc Farkas (; 15 December 1905 – 10 October 2000) was a Hungarian composer. Biography Born into a musical family (his father played the cimbalom and his mother played the piano) in Nagykanizsa, Farkas began his musical studies in Budape ...

Edith Farnadi Edith Farnadi (25 September 1921 – 12 or 14 December 1973) was a Hungarian pianist. She was born in Budapest and began her studies at the age of 7 at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music. She studied with Professor Arnold Székely (also a teacher ...

András Fejér András Fejér (born 1955) is a Hungarian cellist. He is a member of the Takács Quartet, having founded it with three classmates at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest] in 1975. He was born into a musical family and became familiar w ...

* George Feyer (pianist), George Feyer *

Annie Fischer Annie Fischer (July 5, 1914April 10, 1995) was a Hungarian classical pianist. Biography Fischer was born into a Jewish family in Budapest and studied at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music with Ernő Dohnányi and Arnold Szekely. She began he ...

Andor Földes Andor Földes (later Andor Foldes; 21 December 1913 – 9 February 1992) was an internationally renowned Hungarian pianist born in Budapest, who later took American citizenship. Career Földes first studied the piano with his mother, Valeri ...

* Peter Frankl *

János Fürst János Fürst (8 August 1935 – 3 January 2007) was a Hungarian-born conductor and violinist. Biography Fürst originally studied the violin at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in his native Budapest. After the 1956 Soviet invasion of Hun ...

* Zoltán Gárdonyi * Sylvia Geszty * János Gonda * Dénes Gulyás * László Gyimesi * Julia Hamari *

Kato Havas Kato or Katō may refer to: Places *Kato, Guyana, a village in Guyana *Katō, Hyōgo, a city in Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan * Katō District, Hokkaido, a district located in Tokachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan * Katowice, a city in Southern Poland ...

* Erzsébet Házy * Endre Hegedűs *

Frigyes Hidas Frigyes Hidas (; 25 May 1928 – 7 March 2007) was a Hungarian composer. Hidas was born and died in Budapest, where he studied composition at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music with János Visky. After his studies, he was the musical director ...

Marta Hidy Marta Iren Hidy (January 11, 1927 - November 4, 2010) was a Hungarian Canadians, Hungarian Canadian violinist, conductor and music teacher. In addition to being an accomplished musician, she was a founding member of the music program at McMaster ...

Jenő Hubay Jenő Hubay, Jenő Hubay von Szalatna, hu, szalatnai Hubay Jenő (; 15 September 185812 March 1937), also known by his German name Eugen Huber (), was a Hungarian violinist, composer and music teacher. Early life Hubay was born into a Ger ...

* Jenő Huszka *

Sándor Jemnitz Sándor Jemnitz, also known as Alexander Jemnitz (9 August 1890 in Budapest – 8 August 1963 in Balatonföldvár), was a Hungarian composer, conductor, music critic and author. Biography Jemnitz studied composition with János Koessler a ...

* Zoltán Jeney *

Ilona Kabos Ilona Kabos (7 December 189327 May 1973) was a Hungarian-British pianist and teacher. Biography Kabos was born in Budapest in 1893 (some sources give her year of birth as 1894, 1898 or 1902). She studied at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music unde ...

Pál Kadosa Pál Kadosa (; 6 September 1903, Levice, Léva, Austria-Hungary (now Levice, Slovakia) – 30 March 1983, Budapest) was a pianist and Hungarians, Hungarian composer of the post-Béla Bartók, Bartók generation. His early style was influenced ...

Emmerich Kálmán Emmerich Kálmán ( hu, Kálmán Imre; 24 October 1882 – 30 October 1953) was a Hungarian composer of operettas and a prominent figure in the development of Viennese operetta in the 20th century. Among his most popular works are ''Die Csárd� ...

László Kalmár László Kalmár (27 March 1905, Edde – 2 August 1976, Mátraháza) was a Hungarian mathematician and Professor at the University of Szeged. Kalmár is considered the founder of mathematical logic and theoretical computer science in Hungary ...

* Balint Karosi * Bela Katona * István Kertész * Edward Kilenyi * Elisabeth Klein *

Zoltán Kocsis Zoltán Kocsis (; 30 May 1952 – 6 November 2016) was a Hungarian pianist, conductor and composer. Biography Studies Born in Budapest, he began his musical studies at the age of five and continued them at the Béla Bartók Conservatory in 19 ...

Zoltán Kodály Zoltán Kodály (; hu, Kodály Zoltán, ; 16 December 1882 – 6 March 1967) was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is well known internationally as the creator of the Kodály method of music edu ...

* Rezső Kókai * Péter Komlós * Tibor Kozma *

Lili Kraus Lili Kraus (3 April 19036 November 1986) was a Hungarian-born pianist. Biography Lili Kraus was born in Budapest in 1903. Her father was from Czech Lands, and her mother from an assimilated Jewish Hungarian family. She enrolled at the Franz ...

Adrienne Krausz Adrienne Krausz is a Hungarian pianist, b. 1967 He is the husband of Maggie Krausz The winner of the 1989 Cincinnati World Competition while a student at the Ferenc Liszt Academy, she took part at the 1992 and 1993 Montecarlo Masters, reaching ...

György Kurtág György Kurtág (; born 19 February 1926) is a Hungarian classical composer and pianist. He was an academic teacher of piano at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music from 1967, later also of chamber music, and taught until 1993. Biography Györ ...

* István Kuthy * Magda László *

Sylvia Leidemann Sylvia may refer to: People *Sylvia (given name) *Sylvia (singer), American country music and country pop singer and songwriter *Sylvia Robinson, American singer, record producer, and record label executive *Sylvia Vrethammar, Swedish singer credi ...

Vlastimil Lejsek Vlastimil Lejsek (21 July 1927 in Brno – 12 March 2010 in Brno) was a Czech composer and pianist. Biography Lejsek was the son of the Moravian choirmaster Frantisek Kvetoslav Lejsek. He studied at the Brno Conservatory and the Academies of Musi ...

* András Ligeti *

György Ligeti György Sándor Ligeti (; ; 28 May 1923 – 12 June 2006) was a Hungarian-Austrian composer of contemporary classical music. He has been described as "one of the most important avant-garde composers in the latter half of the twentieth century ...

* Pál Lukács *

Éva Marton Éva Marton (born 18 June 1943) is a Hungarian dramatic soprano, particularly known for her operatic portrayals of Puccini's ''Turandot'' and ''Tosca'', and Wagnerian roles. Vocal training and early years Marton was born in Budapest, where ...

Gwendolyn Masin Gwendolyn Masin (born 17 November 1977) is a Dutch and Irish violinist, author, and educator. Early life Masin was born in Amsterdam. She began to play the piano at the age of 3, and took up the violin at the age of 5. Within her initial year of ...

* Tibor Ney * Gábor Ormai *

Eugene Ormandy Eugene Ormandy (born Jenő Blau; November 18, 1899 – March 12, 1985) was a Hungarian-born American conductor and violinist, best known for his association with the Philadelphia Orchestra, as its music director. His 44-year association with ...

Attila Pacsay Attila Pacsay (born October 30, 1970) is a Hungary, Hungarian composer who is particularly known for his music written for films, television, and the theatre. His compositions encompass a wide variety of music from chamber music and symphony, symph ...

Ditta Pásztory-Bartók Ditta Pásztory-Bartók (31 October 190321 November 1982) was a Hungarian pianist and the second wife of the composer Béla Bartók. She was the dedicatee of a number of his works, including '' Out of Doors'' and the Third Piano Concerto. Biograp ...

Zoltán Peskó Zoltán Peskó (15 February 1937 – 31 March 2020) was a Hungarian conductor and composer who held leading positions at German, Italian and Portuguese opera houses and orchestras, including the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Teatro Comunale di Bologn ...

László Polgár László Polgár (born 11 May 1946) is a Hungarian chess teacher and educational psychologist. He is the father of the famous Polgár sisters: Zsuzsa, Zsófia, and Judit, whom he raised to be chess prodigies, with Judit and Zsuzsa becoming ...

David Popper David Popper (June 16, 1843 – August 7, 1913) was a Bohemian cellist and composer. Some other sources list his date of birth as December 9, 1843. Life Popper was born in Prague, and studied music at the Prague Conservatory. His family was J ...

Ferenc Rados Ferenc Rados (born 26 October 1934, in Budapest) is a Hungarian pianist and professor of piano and chamber music. Until 1996, he taught at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary. After retiring, he gave master classes in Europe an ...

Thomas Rajna Thomas Rajna (21 December 1928 – 16 July 2021) was a British pianist and composer of Hungarian birth. He had been domiciled in Cape Town in South Africa since 1970. Biography Rajna was born in Budapest, Hungary. He started to play the piano ...

Fritz Reiner Frederick Martin "Fritz" Reiner (December 19, 1888 – November 15, 1963) was a prominent conductor of opera and symphonic music in the twentieth century. Hungarian born and trained, he emigrated to the United States in 1922, where he rose to ...

* József Réti *

Lívia Rév Lívia Rév (5 July 1916 – 28 March 2018) was a Hungarian classical concert pianist. Career Rév was born in Budapest as Lili Rauchwerger. She began her studies with Margit Varró and Klára Máthé. Aged nine, she won the Grand Prix des Enfa ...

* Anthony Ritchie * Andrea Rost * Ákos Rózmann * Vera Rozsa * Zoltán Rozsnyai *

György Sándor György Sándor (; 21 September 1912 – 9 December 2005) was a Hungarian pianist and writer. Early years Sándor was born in Budapest. He studied at the Liszt Academy in Budapest under Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodály, and debuted as ...

* Szabolcs Sándor * Sylvia Sass * András Schiff * Károly Schranz *

György Sebők György Sebők (November 2, 1922 – November 14, 1999) was a Hungarian-born American pianist and professor at the Indiana University's Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Indiana, United States. He was known worldwide as a soloist with major ...

* Jenő Sevely *

Rane Shephard Rane or Ranes may refer to: Geography *Råne River, Sweden * Rânes, a commune in the Orne department in northwestern France * Ráneš, a large island in Troms county, Norway People Indians * Rane (clan), an Indian Maratha clan ** Prachi Ran ...

* Béla Síki * Georg Solti *

László Somogyi László Somogyi (25 June 1907 in Budapest, Austria-Hungary – 20 May 1988 in Geneva, Switzerland) was a Hungarian conductor. Biography Somogyi received his musical training under Zoltán Kodály and Leo Weiner at the Ferenc Liszt Academ ...

János Starker János Starker (; ; July 5, 1924 – April 28, 2013) was a Hungarian-American cellist. From 1958 until his death, he taught at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music, where he held the title of Distinguished Professor. Starker is consider ...

* Rezső Sugár * Enid Szánthó *

Zoltán Székely Zoltán Székely ( Hungarian: Székely Zoltán; 8 December 1903 in Kocs, Hungary – 5 October 2001 in Banff, Canada) was a violinist and composer. Biography Székely studied violin with Jenő Hubay and composition with Zoltán Kodály at the ...

* Eugen Szenkar * Alex Szilasi * András Szőllősy * Charity Sunshine Tillemann-Dick * Zeynep Üçbaşaran *

Gregory Vajda Gregory Vajda (born Gergely Vajda; August 13, 1973) is a Hungarian clarinetist, composer and conductor. Early life and education He was born in Budapest in 1973 to bassoonist József Vajda (1947-2016) and operatic soprano Veronika Kincses. Vaj ...

* Tibor Varga * Margit Varró *

Tamás Vásáry Tamás Vásáry (; born 11 August 1933) is a Hungarian concert pianist and conductor. Biography and career Vásáry was born in Debrecen, Hungary, and made his stage debut at the age of 8, performing Mozart's Piano Concerto in D major, K.107 ...

Balint Vazsonyi Balint Vázsonyi (7 March 193617 January 2003) was a Hungarian-born naturalized American pianist, educator, international recitalist/soloist with leading orchestras, and political activist and journalist. He made performance history in playing c ...

Gabriel von Wayditch Gabriel von Wayditch (28 December 1888, Budapest28 July 1969 New York City) was a Hungarian-American composer whose output consisted primarily of 14 grand operas. The son of Dr. Aloysious (Lajos) von Wayditch von Verbovac (Verbovác), a nobleman ...

* László Weiner *

Leo Weiner Leo or Léo may refer to: Acronyms * Law enforcement officer * Law enforcement organisation * '' Louisville Eccentric Observer'', a free weekly newspaper in Louisville, Kentucky * Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity Arts a ...

Wanda Wiłkomirska Wanda Wiłkomirska (11 January 1929 – 1 May 2018) was a Polish violinist and academic teacher. She was known for both the classical repertoire and for her interpretation of 20th-century music, having received two Polish State Awards for promot ...

Notable faculty (past and present)

Emil Ábrányi Emil Ábrányi (22 September 1882 11 February 1970) was a Hungarian composer, conductor, and opera director. Life He was conductor at the Royal Hungarian Opera House from 1911–19, and director there from 1919 to 1920. In 1921, he became th ...

* Dezső Antalffy-Zsiross * Lajos Bárdos * Béla Bartók *

* Zoltán Gárdonyi * Lájos Hernadi *

Jenő Jandó Jenő Jandó (; born 1 February 1952) is a Hungarian pianist and Professor of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary. Background and education Jandó studied piano at the Liszt Academy with Katalin Nemes and Pál Kadosa, late ...

Hans von Koessler Hans von Koessler (1 January 1853 – 23 May 1926) was a German composer, conductor and music teacher. In Hungary, where he worked for 26 years, he was known as János Koessler. Biography Koessler, a cousin of Max Reger, was born in Waldeck, Fich ...

* Rezső Kókai * Dénes Kovács * Erzsébet Kozma *

* Márta Kurtág * Franz Liszt * Pál Lukács *

* József Réti *

Albert Simon Albert Simon (3 July 1901 – 13 March 1956) was a Luxembourgian painter. His work was part of the painting event in the art competition at the 1924 Summer Olympics The 1924 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1924), of ...

* Péter Solymos *

* Arnold Székely * Árpád Szendy * Gusztáv Szerémi *

István Thomán István Thomán (; 4 November 186222 September 1940) was a Hungarian piano virtuoso and music educator. He was a notable piano teacher, with students including Béla Bartók, Ernő Dohnányi, Paul de Marky who later taught Oscar Peterson in Quebe ...

Sándor Végh Sándor Végh (17 May 19126 January 1997) was a Hungarian, later French, violinist and conductor. He was best known as one of the great chamber music violinists of the twentieth century. Education Sándor Végh was born in 1912 in Kolozsvár, Tr ...

Sándor Veress Sándor Veress (, – ) was a Swiss composer of Hungarian origin. He was born in Kolozsvár/Klausenburg, Transylvania, Kingdom of Hungary, Austro-Hungarian Empire, nowadays called Cluj-Napoca, Romania, and died in Bern. The first half of hi ...

* János Viski *

Ede Zathureczky Ede Zathureczky (Igló, 24 August 1903 – Bloomington, 31 May 1959) was a Hungarian violin virtuoso and pedagogue. Life and career Ede Zathureczky was born in Igló, Kingdom of Hungary (now Spišská Nová Ves in Slovakia). His teacher was the ...

References

External links