In February 2026, György Kurtág will celebrate his 100th birthday. Alongside György Ligeti and Péter Eötvös, he has entered music history as one of the most significant Hungarian composers of contemporary music.
Between 15 and 28 February, a celebratory festival organised by the Budapest Music Center will feature international stars and leading figures of the Hungarian contemporary music scene. Together, they will present a cross-section of Kurtág’s oeuvre at the most important classical music concert venues of the Hungarian capital.
On the evening of 19 February, Kurtág’s birthday, audiences at Müpa Budapest will hear cornerstone works of his oeuvre performed by the Danubia Orchestra, with the participation of Víkingur Ólafsson and István Várdai. The following day, the world premiere of Kurtág’s new opera, Die Stechardin, will take place at the Bartók Béla National Concert Hall, performed by Maria Husmann and Concerto Budapest under the direction of András Keller.
At the Liszt Academy, Hiromi Kikuchi and Ken Hakii will perform two works dedicated to them with the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; György Kurtág Jr. will present a composition jointly written with the celebrated composer; and the festival will conclude with Juliane Banse and András Keller performing Kafka Fragments.
On the mornings of 6 and 7 February 2026, Concerto Budapest will host a two-day Kurtág workshop in the Grand Hall of the Liszt Academy. Visitors are invited to observe the workshop in person and, on the same days, attend evening concerts to experience the works of this legendary composer.
