From 18 to 20 June 2026, the Institute for Musicology of the ELTE Research Centre for the Humanities hosted the International Musicological Conference on György Kurtág's 100th Birthday, one of the most significant scholarly events of the composer's centenary year.

The conference was organized on behalf of the Institute for Musicology by Anna Dalos. Over three days, leading musicologists, performers and composers from Europe, North America and Asia gathered in Budapest to present the latest research on Kurtág's life and oeuvre.

The papers explored a wide range of topics, including the pedagogical and performative aspects of Játékok (Games), compositional processes, musical gesture, memory and intertextuality, as well as Kurtág's artistic connections with György Ligeti, János Pilinszky, Franz Kafka and John Cage. Special attention was also devoted to new research opportunities offered by the György Kurtág Collection at the Paul Sacher Foundation in Basel, alongside the presentation of previously unknown sources and works.

As the principal publisher of György Kurtág's oeuvre, Universal Music Publishing Editio Musica Budapest also contributed to the conference programme. In a conversation, Tünde Mózes-Szitha and Gergely Fazekas shared their experience in publishing and promoting Kurtág's music internationally, presented the new centenary publications  issued by UMP Editio Musica Budapest, and Gergely Fazekas introduced the Kurtág website currently being developed by the Budapest Music Center. In her own paper, Tünde Mózes-Szitha discussed the genesis of "My Dear Friends…", a song deliberately omitted from Attila József-Fragments, Op. 20, and presented the manuscripts published by UMP Editio Musica Budapest.

The scholarly programme was complemented by three outstanding concerts featuring chamber and vocal works by György Kurtág, performed by leading Hungarian musicians. The closing concert included the world premiere of "My Dear Friends…", one of the highlights of the centenary celebrations, and was honoured by the presence of György Kurtág himself.
The conference once again demonstrated the international significance of György Kurtág's oeuvre, which continues to inspire new scholarly perspectives and artistic interpretations around the world.