Ten Books to Read for the 2026 Autumn Margó Literary Festival
The Autumn Margó Literary Festival, an event where you can meet Hungary’s leading authors and latest books, as well as the most exciting figures in contemporary world literature. We recommend ten books whose shows you shouldn’t miss. Here’s the list!
A ‘tiny’ piano concerto in four movements
‘A tiny, tiny piano concerto with a tiny, tiny wisp of a scherzo,’ wrote Johannes Brahms jokingly in his letter to Elisabeth von Herzogenberg. It was July 1881, more than two decades after the infamous failure of his Piano Concerto No. 1 in D minor in Leipzig. At that time, perhaps even he himself had no idea what impact this tiny piano concerto would have on his career.
Songs to listen to ahead of Isolation Budapest
On 17 October, the cream of the underground music scene will take over the Akvárium Klub. This year’s Isolation Budapest will be a melting pot of genres, with fans of alt-rock, indie rock, funk and soul all finding something to their liking. Here’s a list to give you a handle on the performers.
Dark Electronica – Ten Essential Tracks Ahead of Autechre’s Budapest Concert
The English duo are known for giving concerts in complete darkness, to ensure that nothing distracts the audience. To help you to get ready for the concert, we’ve put together a list of ten essential tracks from Autechre’s discography, spanning more than three decades.
What Becomes of the Winners?
Although there are indeed a great many state and privately initiated awards in Hungary, one that stands out is the Margó Prize, established in 2015 and awarded annually to the author of the best debut book of prose. What professional successes have its winners achieved, and to what extent does winning it ensure smooth sailing in a literary career?
A New Map of Contemporary Art: African Perspectives
Until the 21st century, contemporary African art was treated by the Western art world as a periphery, a curiosity to be discovered, an exotic “Other.” Today, however, it no longer occupies a marginal position: in recent years, it has become an equal and indispensable shaper of international contemporary art, an integral part of the canon.
Balancing between Conducting and Composition
If one were to list Georgia’s most significant musicians, Vakhtang Kakhidze’s name would certainly feature in the top five. In the career of the 67-year-old artist, conducting and composing have been closely intertwined from the beginning, although he himself considers the latter to be his primary vocation.
A Meeting of Cultures?
Sosem kultúrák találkoznak, hanem emberek: a maguk által megképzett kulturális-közösségi elbeszélésekkel, előfeltevésekkel, vélt tudással, tapasztalatokkal, emlékezettel, érzékenységgel, azok általában reflektált, mégis szövevényes és önmaguk számára is feltárhatatlan pillanatnyi együttesével.
A Place from which the Road Leads Far Away
The Talent Centre, which the guitarist founded in 2011 offers high-quality musical training to young artists, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds. There have been over 300 graduates to date, most of whom continued with their musical studies or work as musicians. Let’s take a look at the careers of some of the centre’s exceptionally talented former pupils!
Five Orchestras, One Myth
Why is the group of symphonic orchestras known as the ‘Big Five’ exactly five strong? What made Philadelphia, Chicago or Cleveland sound different? The label originated during the golden age of the record industry, but today it perhaps says more about a particular era than about the current pecking order of American orchestras.
Contemporary Music for Everyone
They set out with the intention of transforming London’s contemporary music scene so that most concertgoers could enjoy the latest works, not just a select few. Alongside the programmes, the success of their mission owed much to the high calibre of their concerts, and for over fifty years now, the London Sinfonietta has been one of the world’s leading ensembles of new music
Hail Mary!
It so happens that several Marys came to play a prominent role in the composer’s life. While the most important part, in my view, was played by the above-mentioned Virgin Mary, no small roles were also taken by Marie d’Agoult, the mother of the composer’s children, and Marie, the daughter of Princess Carolyne zu Sayn-Wittgenstein, another important companion in his life.
