60 Years of the Jazz Department – Anniversary Concert Presented by Liszt Academy

This year marks the 60th anniversary of jazz education in Hungary. This concert commemorates the significant cultural milestone driven by János Gonda, Széchenyi Prize-winning music educator, pianist, and composer. The Liszt Academy recognized this groundbreaking initiative, which paved the way for jazz education to be institutionalized: the department evolved from a faculty to a college department, then to a university department, and starting in 2025, it will offer an independent doctoral jazz program. Time has proven the decision to be correct: many influential figures of Hungarian music have emerged from the department, with many returning as professors to their alma mater.

On this evening, the Senior Big Band of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music will perform under the direction of Attila László. The ensemble consists of musicians who graduated from the Jazz Department and are actively involved in both Hungarian and international jazz scenes. The program features jazz big band compositions by contemporary Hungarian composers such as Kálmán Oláh, Kornél Fekete-Kovács, Attila László, and Kristóf Bacsó, along with a composition by János Gonda.