Held between 9 and 22 October, the Liszt Fest International Cultural Festival offered a colourful programme, with unique and unrepeatable collaborations in classical music, exclusive productions of crossover and popular music, an exceptionally rich offering in world music, literary and visual arts events.

‘Our fourth Liszt Fest not only hosted large productions dedicated to Liszt’s oeuvre, such as the oratorio on the legend of St Elizabeth, but also accommodated other art forms, including art exhibitions, dance performances, pop concerts and productions of classical works. Ferenc Liszt was not only an internationally successful prodigy and a similarly talented marketing wizard of his time, but one of the greatest creators and performing artists of the 19th century as well, who left us a multifaceted cultural heritage that continues to help us as a beacon in charting, comprehending and enjoying the art of our own time,’ says Csaba Káel, the CEO of Müpa, which presents the festival.

‘It was very gratifying to see how many people were interested in a festival of the arts that is informed by his spirit, and that everyone could find an event – whether it be classical music, contemporary dance or an exhibition – where they could unwind,’ added Janina Szomolányi, the Operative Director of Müpa Budapest’s festivals.

The grand opening event of the Liszt Fest was an overwhelmingly successful performance of the eponymous composer’s The Legend of St Elizabeth, by an international cast, under the baton of György Vashegyi. A few days later, the same venue, the Béla Bartók National Concert Hall, appeared in a completely different light to an audience no less enthusiastic, who demanded two encores at the unique show where Francesco Tristano combined classical piano and electronica. In a like vein, the audience was roused to minutes of thunderous applause by the solo of József Balog, a Liszt specialist, at the concert of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Vasily Petrenko. Like the opening concert, the Cluj-Napoca Hungarian Opera’s show was also streamed online, allowing those who could not attend to enjoy some of the sublime moments of the Liszt Fest.

The fourth edition of this festival of the arts welcomed those who wanted to recharge their batteries in 26 auditoriums at 16 venues in Budapest, offering 130 events, 76 of which were free. Müpa Budapest featured world stars like the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra from London, the Orchester Wiener Akademie and Francesco Tristano; the Akvárium Klub was home to Isolation Budapest, a festival of pop music; the Budapest Music Center presented the Markus Stockhausen Group, who are known for their unique sound; and at the House of Music Hungary, the audience could enjoy the joint concert of Lőrinc Barabás and the Jazzical Trio. The Millenáris attracted enthusiasts of both music and visual art: along with the explosive concert of Jeff Mills and his companions, the Buda venue also hosted Art Market Budapest, which was again visited by thousands. Book lovers could attend the Autumn Margó Literary Festival at the nearby National Dance Theatre.

The 100th anniversary of the birth of Iván Szenes was celebrated, and the master’s greatest hits were performed, at a concert by The Qualitons and Hungarian pop stars, while Recirquel, the company that instigated a genre, premiered its latest production of cirque danse in the tent by Müpa Budapest.

Inspired by the work of Mihály Munkácsy, Háromszék Dance Theatre’s Ecce Homo told the story of the painter’s life through the art of movement, thus attracting not only devotees of dance but also viewers interested in fine arts and visual culture. As did the exhibitions opened under the banner of the Liszt Fest, like the Ludwig Museum’s Women’s Quota 01, the Hungarian National Gallery’s show, which focused on the work of the Galimbertis, and the Museum of Ethnography’s massive undertaking, which calls attention to the diversity of the Székely Land.

Like before, this festival of the arts was advertised with posters, we released a magazine again with a wealth of compelling reads, published interesting facts and backstage stories on our blog, and our Festival News kept viewers up to date.