About Us

The Liszt Ferenc Society bears the name of the famous Hungarian pianist and composer, Ferenc (Franz) Liszt. There were attempts to form a society bearing his name already in his lifetime. The Hungarian Liszt Society was founded in 1893 and functioned with several interruptions until the end of World War II. The Society did not line up to any political program, therefore it could not function in the years of severe communist oppression. Its second foundation was in 1973. Since the political changes of 1990 it is a free civil association promoting the culture in Hungary.

The activity of the Society is directed by a presidium.

President: István Lantos, pianist and organist, professor of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music; Co-presidents: Mária Eckhardt, chief adviser and academic director of the Liszt Ferenc Memorial Museum and Research Centre; Tamás Klenjánszky, artistic adviser; Secretary General: Judit Rozsnyay. Additional members of the presidium: Ferenc Kerek, DLA pianist, head of the Faculty of Music of the Szeged University, head of the Szeged Section; Mrs. Somlai, pensioner, technician; , head of the Szekszárd Section; Péter Kuzsner, organist, head of the Sopron Section; Mrs. Ildikó Pogány, head of the Pécs Section.

The Liszt Ferenc Society is a member of the Hungarian Music Council. The Society has a centre in Budapest and groups in the towns Pécs, Sopron, Szeged and Szekszárd. The total number of members is 550.

The aims of the Society are to spread the cult of Liszt’s music and personality and propagate his noble ideas.

Our programs are:
-Monthly club-days organized by each group of the Society. These consist mostly of lectures about Liszts music (with musical illustrations) and of concerts.
-Every year the Society commemorates Liszt’s birthday with a gala concert held in the large concert hall of the Music Academy.
-Every year the Society awards the Ferenc Liszt International Record Grand Prix, for which CD-s issued in the previous year may apply.

The Society issues twice a year a circular letter to inform its members.

The Hungarian Liszt Society has contacts with many Liszt Societies in the world (there are Liszt Societies in many countries of Europe, in Australia, North- and South-America and Japan) and informs them at least once a year about its activity.

The subscription is really small (a great number of the members are retired), the finances of the Society are balanced by the greater donations of the supporting members. The Society has several sponsors and submits tenders. Several members work for the Society as volunteers.

The activity of the Liszt Ferenc Society is supported by the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, the National Civil Fund and the Cultural Committe of the Budapest Council.