Music of Budapest

Budapest is the capital and largest city of Hungary; it has long been an important part of the music of Hungary. Budapest's music history has included the composers Franz Liszt, Ernő Dohnányi, Zoltán Kodály and Béla Bartók and the opera composer Ferenc Erkel.

Hungary, especially Budapest has a rich musical culture, whether its classical music, modern experimental, electronica, alternative music, or traditional Hungarian folk music.

Music institutions in modern Budapest include the Hungarian State Opera, the Hungarian State Orchestra and the Nemzeti Filharmónia. Music festivals in Budapest include the annual folk dance celebration Táncháztalálkozó and the Budapest Festival Orchestra. Music venues include the Almássy Square Leisure Centre, Franz Liszt Academy of Music and Petőfi Hall.

The story of the National Philharmonic Orchestra began in 1923, with the formation of the Metropolitan Orchestra, which quickly became one of the pillars of Hungarian musical life.

In the past few years, the orchestra has received a remarkable number of invitations to perform abroad. They have enjoyed immense success at venues as far apart as the New York Avery Fisher Hall, the Tokyo Suntory Hall, the Birmingham Symphony Hall, the Athenian Megaron Musicos or the Colmar Festival. ConcertoNet, the distinguished online classical music journal, nominated the orchestra's concert in New York in February 2003 as the winner of the Lully Prize for the best concert of the season.

Under the artistic direction of Zoltán Kocsis, is undertaking in a complete Bartók recording project for the Hungaroton label, launched in 2006. The first recordings from this new series was released in December 2006 under the title the Kossuth Symphony and The Wooden Prince. This SACD received important international critical acclaim (Diapason d'or, Pizzicato Supersonic Prize etc.). The second one was released in September 2007 with a new recording of the Violin Concerto op. posth. and earlier recordings of Rhapsody op. 1 and Scherzo op. 2.

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