We bid farewell to the composer Miklós Kocsár, a teacher of generations, and a respected figure in the musical public life, who passed at the age of 86. His career began with chamber music, especially music for wind instruments.  He wrote songs, cantatas, masses, oratorios, orchestral pieces and solo instrumental pieces, while a considerable proportion of his œuvre consists of choral compositions. His works are sung worldwide; he was a celebrated composer for choirs, guest of honour at choir competitions. Many of his choral pieces were composed to verses by Hungarian poets; at different periods of his life, the works of different poets have occupied his attention. He composed his works for children's choir to verses by Sándor Weöres; in his pieces for female and mixed choirs, he has used verses by Gyula Juhász, László Nagy, Imre Csanádi and Sándor Kányádi, among others.  Characteristic features of his compositions are his quest for beauty of sound and his insistence on strict formal proportions.

The programme of the Budapest Music of Our Age Festival, being held for the 39th time this year, focuses on anniversaries of Polish and Hungarian composers. Besides works by Witold Lutosławski, born a century ago, and György Ligeti born 90 years ago, compositions by Krzysztof Penderecki and Henryk Górecki, who are celebrating their 80th birthdays this year, the 80-year-old Miklós Kocsár and István Láng, as well as the 70-year-old László Dubrovay and Zoltán Jeney, are being presented either for the first time in Hungary or in the world.