György Kurtág Explained

György Kurtág (pronounced as /hu/; born 19 February 1926) is a Hungarian composer of contemporary classical music and pianist. According to Grove Music Online, his style draws on "Bartók, Webern and, to a lesser extent, Stravinsky", and "his work is characterized by compression in scale and forces, and by a particular immediacy of expression". In 2023 he was described as "one of the last living links to the defining postwar composers of the European avant-garde".^[1]

Kurtág was an academic teacher of piano at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music from 1967, later also of chamber music, and taught until 1993. For decades, Kurtág and his wife Márta gave recitals on one piano of selections from his ten-volume collection Játékok and his Bach transcriptions.

Life and career

György Kurtág was born on 19 February 1926 in Lugoj, Romania, to Jewish Hungarian parents. He spoke Hungarian, Romanian, and German early. From the age of 14, he took piano lessons from Magda Kardos and studied composition with Max Eisikovits in Timișoara.^{[2] [3]} He moved to Budapest in 1946 and became a Hungarian citizen in 1948. There, he began his studies at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music, where he met his wife, Márta Kinsker, as well as composer György Ligeti, who became a close friend. His piano teacher at the academy was Pál Kadosa. He studied composition with Sándor Veress and Ferenc Farkas, chamber music with Leó Weiner, and theory with Lajos Bárdos, and graduated in piano and chamber music in 1951.^[4] He married Márta in 1947 and their son was born in 1954. He received his degree in composition in 1955,^[5] with a viola concerto that received the Erkel Prize.

Following the Hungarian uprising in 1956, Kurtág planned to emigrate, like Ligeti, but was hindered by circumstances. He was able to live in Paris between 1957 and 1958, a time of critical importance for him, studying with Max Deutsch, Olivier Messiaen, and Darius Milhaud, discovering the plays by Samuel Beckett and scores by Anton Webern. He suffered from severe depression, saying: "I realized to the point of despair that nothing I had believed to constitute the world was true",^[6] and that he "felt like a cockroach trying to become human". Kurtág received therapy from art psychologist Marianne Stein, who encouraged him to work from the simplest musical elements, extremely small tonal connections arranged in mosaic-like patterns, musical gestures like a breath or a sigh, using "economical, compressed, essential" cells. The encounter revivified him and stimulated his artistic development.^[7]

Travelling home, Kurtág listened in Cologne to Ligeti's Artikulation and Stockhausen's Gruppen. The string quartet he composed in 1959 after his return to Budapest marks a crucial turning point; he calls it his Opus 1.

Kurtág worked as a répétiteur at the Bartók Music School (1958–63) and at the National Philharmonia in Budapest (1960–68).^[7] In 1967, he was appointed professor of piano and later also of chamber music at the Franz Liszt Academy, where he taught until 1993.^[7] During this time his students included Zoltán Kocsis^[8] and András Schiff.^[9]

Kurtág's first international opportunity for recognition was in 1968 when his largest work to date, The Sayings of Peter Bornemisza,^[10] was performed by Erika Sziklay and Lóránt Szűcs at the Darmstadt Summer Courses for New Music.^[11] The critical response was not positive, and it was overshadowed by Stockhausen's Musik für ein Haus. Kurtág's international recognition began to grow in 1981 with the premiere in Paris of Messages of the Late Miss R.V. Troussova for soprano and chamber ensemble.^{[12] [13]}

Kurtág has written a few orchestral works, such as Stele for the Berlin Philharmonic and Messages, but his primary forms of expression are fragments, bagatelles, moments, games, and splinters. He composed an opera, Fin de partie to a libretto he derived from Beckett's Endgame, which premiered at La Scala in Milan on 15 November 2018,^[14] eight years after the original commission.^[15]

Kurtág has held master classes in chamber music.^{[16] [17]} Since the early 1990s, he has worked abroad with increasing frequency: he was composer in residence at the Berlin Philharmonic (1993–95) and the Vienna Konzerthaus Society (1995). He then lived in the Netherlands (1996–98), again in Berlin (1998–99) and upon invitation by Ensemble intercontemporain, Cité de la Musique, and Festival d'Automne, in Paris (1999–2001).

Kurtág and his wife lived near Bordeaux from 2002 to 2015, when they moved back to Budapest. They performed together for 60 years, in concert, for radio, and in recordings.^[18] The couple played a selection of pieces for two- and four-hand piano from Kurtág's ten-volume collection Játékok and Bach transcriptions.^{[19] [20]} They appeared in 2004 when Kurtág was the featured composer of the Rheingau Musik Festival.^{[21] [22]} When he received the gold medal from the Royal Philharmonic Society in London in 2013, they played at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in London. A reviewer for The Guardian wrote:

Márta died in October 2019.^[23]

Music

See also: List of compositions by György Kurtág.

According to scholar Rachel Beckles Willson, "Kurtág composes painstakingly and haltingly: in 1985, when he was 59, his output had reached only Op. 23, and several works remained unfinished or had been withdrawn for revision."

Kurtág's compositions are often made up of many very brief movements. Kafka Fragments, for instance, is an approximately 55-minute song cycle for soprano and solo violin made up of 40 short movements, setting extracts from Franz Kafka's writings, diaries, and letters.^[24] Music journalist Tom Service wrote that Kurtág's music "involved reducing music to the level of the fragment, the moment, with individual pieces or movements lasting mere seconds, or a minute, perhaps two."^[25] Most extreme of all, his piano piece "Flowers We Are, Mere Flowers", from the eighth volume of Játékok ("Games"), consists of just seven notes.^[25] Because of this interest in miniatures, Kurtág's music is often compared to Webern's.^[26]

Until Stele, Op. 33, written for the Berlin Philharmonic and Claudio Abbado, Kurtág's compositions were mainly vocal solo and choral music and instrumental music ranging from solo pieces to works for chamber ensembles of increasing size. Since Stele, a number of large-scale compositions have premiered, such as Messages, Op. 34, New Messages, Op. 34a, and the double concerto …concertante…, Op. 42.

Beginning in the late 1980s, Kurtág wrote several works in which the spatial distribution of instruments plays an important role. His … quasi una fantasia… for piano and ensemble (1988) is the first piece in which he explores the idea of music that spatially embraces the audience.^{[27] [28]}

Kurtág's music has been called a dialogue with poets such as Beckett, Kafka, and Anna Akhmatova and composers such as Bach, Beethoven, and Berg, to whom he has alluded and for whom he wrote homages in appreciation of their art and worldviews.

Most of Kurtág's music is published by Editio Musica Budapest,^[29] some by Universal Edition, Vienna,^[30] and some by Boosey & Hawkes, London.^[31]

Recognition

Kurtág has received numerous awards, including Officier of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres in 1985, the Kossuth Award of the Hungarian government for his life achievement in 1973, the Austrian Ehrenzeichen in 1996, and the Ernst von Siemens Music Prize in 1998.^[32] He is also a member of the Bavarian Academy of Fine Arts, Munich, and of the Akademie der Künste, Berlin (both since 1987), and was named an Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters in 2001. In 2006, he received the Grawemeyer Award for his composition …concertante…, Op. 42, for violin, viola and orchestra.^[33]

In 2024 Kurtág received the Wolf Prize, an international award granted in Israel, "for his contribution to the world's cultural heritage, which is fundamentally inspirational and human".

Kurtág received the 2014 BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the category of Contemporary Music for, in the view of the jury, its "rare expressive intensity". "The novel dimension of his music", the citation continues, "lies not in the material he uses but in its spirit, the authenticity of its language, and the way it crosses borders between spontaneity and reflection, between formalism and expression."^{[34] [35] [36]}

The Ensemble Modern and soloists performed his works Opp. 19, 31b and 17. On the occasion of his 80th birthday in February 2006, the Budapest Music Centre honoured him with a festival in his hometown.

On 19 February 2026, Kurtág turned 100. A festival of his music was held in Budapest, including the world premiere of his second opera, Die Stechardin, dedicated to his wife, in his presence.

Awards

• Erkel Prize in 1954, 1956 and 1969
• Kossuth Prize (1973)
• UNESCO's International Rostrum of Composers (1983)^[37]
• Music Prize of the Prince Pierre of Monaco Foundation (1993)
• International Antonio Feltrinelli Prize (1993)
• Composers Award of the State of Austria (1994)
• Denis de Rougemot Prize of the European Festivals Association (1994)
• Kossuth Prize for Lifetime Achievement (1996)
• Austrian Decoration for Science and Art (1997)

• Ernst von Siemens Music Prize (1998)^[38]
• Honorary Prize for Art and Science of the Institute for Advanced Study Berlin (1999)^[39]
• Pour le Mérite for Science and Art (1999)^[40]
• Foundation for Contemporary Arts Grants to Artists Award (2000)^[41]

• John Cage Award (2003)
• Sonning Award (2003; Denmark)^[42]
• Grand Cross of Merit of the Republic of Hungary (2006)
• University of Louisville Grawemeyer Award for Music Composition (2006; U.S.)^[43]
• Honorary member of the Union of Composers and Musicologists from Romania (2008)^[44]
• Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale for lifetime achievement (53rd International Festival of Contemporary Music; 2009)^[45]
• Zürich Festival Prize (2010)
• Royal Philharmonic Society Gold Medal (2013)^[46]
• BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Contemporary Music (2014)
• Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2015)^[47]
• Rolf Schock Prize (2020)^{[48] [49]}
• The Wolf Prize (2024)^[50]

Honorary doctorates

• Franz Liszt Academy of Music (2026)

References

Cited sources

• Encyclopedia: Willson . Rachel Beckles . 2002 . 2001 . . Kurtág, György . . Oxford . 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.15695 . 978-1-56159-263-0 . subscription .
• News: Sandner . Wolfgang . FAZ . 26 February 2026 . de . 26 February 2026--> . .

Kurtág 100

• Web site: Preuß . Thorsten . Meister der musikalischen Miniatur . . 19 February 2026 . de . 19 February 2026 .
• News: Sandner . Wolfgang . Leiser Trotz gegen das Übertönt-Werden . . 19 February 2026 . de . 19 February 2026.
• Web site: Weidringer . Walter . Friedrich Cerha [and György Kurtág] zum Hunderter ]. . 17 February 2026 . de . 17 February 2026 .
• Web site: ATEMPO.sk . 19 February 2026 . Kurtág 100 – ünnepi műsorokkal köszöntik a világhírű zeneszerzőt . 19 February 2026 . ATEMPO.sk kulturális-zenei portál . hu-hu . .
• Web site: György Kurtág Turns 100 – A Global Celebration of a Musical Visionary . Universal Edition . 17 February 2026 . .

Further reading

• Blum . Stephen . Stephen Blum . 2002 . Kurtág's Articulation of Kafka's Rhythms ("Kafka-Fragmente", op. 24) . Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae . T. 43 . Fasc. 3/4 . 345–358 . 902594. none.
• News: Connolly . Kate . 16 August 2023 . 'I compose to seek the truth': György Kurtág on depression, totalitarianism and his 73-year marriage . . 26 August 2023. none.
• Márta Grabócz/Jean-Paul Olive (edd.). 2009.Gestes, fragments, timbres: la musique de György Kurtág. En l'honneur de son 80e anniversaire. Actes de colloque des 29, 30 et 31 mai 2006 á l'Institut hongrois de Paris; l'Harmattan, Paris, 2009
• Márta Grabócz/Álvaro Oviedo/Jean-Paul Olive (edd.), György Kurtág: les œuvres et leur interprétation, Paris L'Harmattan 2020.
• Encyclopedia: Griffiths . Paul . Paul Griffiths (writer) . Latham . Alison . 2011 . Kurtág, György . . . Oxford . 978-0-19-957903-7 . 11 February 2023. none.
• Hohmaier, Simone. 1997. "Meine Muttersprache ist Bartók...". Einfluss und Material in György Kurtágs "Quartetto per archi" op. 1 (1959); Saarbrücken, Pfau, 1997.
• Halász, Péter. 1998. György Kurtág. Magyar zeneszerzok 3. Budapest: Mágus Kiadó. .
• Halász . Péter . 2002 . On Kurtág's Dodecaphony . Studia Musicologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae . T. 43 . Fasc. 3/4 . 235–252 . 902586. none.
• News: Karasz . Palko . 7 November 2018 . A 92-Year-Old Composer's First Opera Is His 'Endgame' . . none.
• Kunkel, Michael. 2008. "...dire cela, sans savoir quoi...". Samuel Beckett in der Musik von György Kurtág und Heinz Holliger; Pfau, Saarbrücken, 2008.
• Kinderman, William. 2012. The creative process in music from Mozart to Kurtág; University of Illinois Press, Urbana/IL–Chicago–Springfield, 2012.
• Lentsner . Dina . Spring 2018 . A Composer's Literary Indulgences? Epigraphs in György Kurtág's Russian Works . . 62 . 1 . 140–159 . 10.30851/621010 . 45408811. none.
• Maréchaux, Pierre/Tosser, Grégoire Tosser. (edd.) 2009. Ligatures: la pensée musicale de György Kurtág, Rennes, Presses Universitaires de Rennes 2009.
• György Kurtág: Great Hungarian Jewish Composer, No Monk article by Benjamin Ivry in "The Forward", including a picture of Márta and György Kurtág at the piano, 6 February 2009
• Friedemann Sallis, Robin Elliott, Kenneth DeLong 2012 (edd.)Centre and periphery, roots and exile, Interpreting the music of István Anhalt, György Kurtág, and Sándor Veress; Wilfrid Laurier University Press, Waterloo/ON, 2012
• Stahl, Claudia. 1998. Botschaften in Fragmenten. Die grossen Vokalzyklen von György Kurtág; PFAU, Saarbrücken, 1998
• Varga, Bálint András. 2009. György Kurtág: Three Interviews and Ligeti Homages. Eastman studies in Music. Rochester, NY: University of Rochester Press. .
• Willson, Rachel Beckles. 1998a. "The Fruitful Tension between Inspiration and Design in Kurtág's The Sayings of Péter Bornemisza op.7". Mitteilungen der Paul Sacher Stiftung 11:36–41.
• Willson, Rachel Beckles. 1998b. "Kurtág's Instrumental Music, 1988–98". Tempo, new series, no. 207:15–21.
• Willson. Rachel Beckles. 2004. György Kurtág, The Sayings of Peter Bornemisza, op. 7: A "Concerto" for Soprano and Piano. Landmarks in Music Since 1950. Aldershot, Hants, England; Burlington, VT: Ashgate.
• Willson, Rachel Beckles. 2007. Ligeti, Kurtág, and Hungarian music during the cold war; Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, 2007 (Music in the 20th Century).
• Willson, Rachel Beckles/Fazekas, Gergely (edd.). 2025. Perspectives on the Music of György Kurtág: Performance, Language and Memory, Turnhout, Brepols 2025.
• Walsh . Stephen . Stephen Walsh (writer) . March 1982 . György Kurtág: An Outline Study (I) . . 140 . 140 . 11–21 . 10.1017/S0040298200035415 . 944833 . 145063951. none.
• Walsh . Stephen. Stephen Walsh (writer) -->. September 1982 . György Kurtág: An Outline Study (II) . . 142 . 142 . 10–19 . 10.1017/S0040298200032526 . 944812 . 143824099 . none.

External links

• • Profile for György Kurtág on the Boosey & Hawkes website
• Profile for György Kurtág on the Universal Edition website

Notes and References

1. Web site: György Kurtág contemplates his endgame. Benjamin. Poore. Engelsberg ideas . 30 August 2023 .
2. Web site: 22 January 2024 . György Kurtág, unul din cei mai importanți compozitori născuți la Lugoj, omagiat la Budapesta . lugojeanul.ro.
3. Web site: Vasilescu . Irina . 29 March 2009 . Interviu cu compozitorul György Kurtag . 28 March 2024 . romania-muzical.ro . 28 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240328182430/https://www.romania-muzical.ro/articol/interviu-cu-compozitorul-gyorgy-kurtag/236/15/2 . live .
4. http://www.universaledition.com/Gyoergy-Kurtag/composers-and-works/composer/402 György Kurtág
5. http://www.universaledition.com/Gyoergy-Kurtag/composers-and-works/composer/402 György Kurtág
6. Web site: Murray . David . 18 September 2006 . Master of the finely wrought fragment . 4 June 2023 . Financial Times . 4 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230604144351/https://www.ft.com/content/e6f0fac2-4737-11db-83df-0000779e2340 . live .
7. Web site: György Kurtág. info.bmc.hu. 27 December 2019. 15 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191215055750/https://info.bmc.hu/index.php?node=artists&l=en&table=SZERZO&id=10. live.
8. Encyclopedia: Várnai . Péter P. . 2002 . 2001 . . Kocsis, Zoltán . . Oxford . 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.15241 . 978-1-56159-263-0 . subscription . 11 February 2023 . 16 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220416083240/https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000015241 . live .
9. Encyclopedia: Plaistow . Stephen . 2002 . 2001 . . Schiff, András . . Oxford . 10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.42848 . 978-1-56159-263-0 . subscription . 11 February 2023 . 15 April 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220415185753/https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/grovemusic/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-0000042848 . live .
10. Web site: Kurtág: The sayings of Peter Bornemisza for soprano and piano . Universal Edition . 17 February 2026.
11. Walsh . S. . Gyorgy Kurtag: The Sayings of Peter Bornemisza, Op. 7: A Concerto for Soprano and Piano. By Rachel Beckles Willson. pp. xvi + 192; CD. Landmarks in Music since 1950. (Ashgate, Aldershot and Burlington, Vt., 2004, 35. ISBN 0-7546-0809-3.) . Music and Letters . 87 . 4 . 1 November 2006 . 0027-4224 . 10.1093/ml/gcl009 . 667–670 . 17 February 2026. subscription .
12. Web site: Rutherford-Johnson . Tim . The giving of gifts: Pierre-Laurent Aimard on György Kurtág . Bachtrack . 16 February 2026 . 17 February 2026.
13. Web site: Clements . Andrew . CD: Kurtág: Messages of the Late Miss RV Troussova; Widmann: ... umdustert ... . The Guardian . 4 January 2008 . 17 February 2026.
14. Web site: Fin de partie – Teatro alla Scala. www.teatroallascala.org. 10 March 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20171027140406/http://www.teatroallascala.org/en/season/2017-2018/opera/fin-de-partie.html. 27 October 2017.
15. Web site: Fin de Partie review – Kurtág's compelling musical testament. Clements, Andrew. 19 November 2018. The Guardian. 27 December 2019. 1 January 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190101055059/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/nov/19/fin-de-partie-la-scala-milan-review-gyorgy-kurtag-samuel-beckett. live.
16. Web site: Masterclass by György Kurtág with Kelemen Quartet . BMC – Budapest Music Center . 17 February 2026 . 15 November 2025 . https://web.archive.org/web/20251115183621/https://www.bmc.hu/en/programs/festival-academy-budapest-masterclass-by-gyoergy-kurtag-with-kelemen-quartet . live .
17. Web site: Festival Academy Budapest Presents: Masterclass with György Kurtág . The Violin Channel . 30 July 2025 . 17 February 2026 . 31 July 2025 . https://web.archive.org/web/20250731030256/https://theviolinchannel.com/vc-live-festival-academy-budapest-presents-masterclass-with-gyorgy-kurtag/ . live .
18. Web site: György Kurtág . . 21 October 2019. fr . 22 October 2019 .
19. Web site: György Kurtág Biography . Ernst von Siemens Musikstiftung . 10 September 2025 . 17 February 2026 . 14 October 2025 . https://web.archive.org/web/20251014200047/https://evs-musikstiftung.ch/en/donor-concert/raesonanz-donor-concerts-2018/raesonanz-donor-concert-lucerne-2018/the-composers/gyoergy-kurtag-biography/ . live .
20. Web site: The Cross-Eyed Pianist . An afternoon with György and Márta Kurtág . The Cross-Eyed Pianist . 3 December 2013 . 17 February 2026 . 2 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230602020139/https://crosseyedpianist.com/2013/12/03/an-afternoon-with-gyorgy-and-marta-kurtag/ . live .
21. News: Rheingau Musik-Festival : Barocke Pracht, sakraler Triumph . FAZ . 17 February 2004 . de .
22. Web site: Döring . Gerd . Mit leichter Hand . FR.de . 26 January 2019 . de . 17 February 2026 . 11 April 2025 . https://web.archive.org/web/20250411145301/https://www.fr.de/kultur/musik/leichter-hand-11512192.html . live .
23. News: Marta Kurtag Dies at 92, Sundering a Profound Musical Partnership. The New York Times. 25 October 2019. Allen, David. 28 October 2019. 29 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191028212700/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/25/arts/music/marta-kurtag-dead.html. live.
24. Web site: Konzerte . Kammermusik Basel . 29 May 2023 . de . 17 February 2026 . 18 April 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240418084609/https://www.kammermusik.org/werk.asp?kompn=Kurt%E1g&kompv=Gy%F6rgy&werk=Kafka-Fragmente . live .
25. News: A guide to György Kurtág's music. Service, Tom. 12 March 2013. The Guardian. 27 December 2019.
26. Web site: Vokalzyklen von György Kurtág . . 26 January 2020 . de . 17 February 2026.
27. Web site: ...quasi una fantasia... op. 27/1 von György Kurtág . Stretta . de . 17 February 2026.
28. Web site: …quasi una fantasia…, György Kurtág . Hollywood Bowl . 17 February 2026 . 18 November 2025 . https://web.archive.org/web/20251118094901/https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/musicdb/pieces/4767/quasi-una-fantasia . live .
29. Web site: Composers – Editio Musica Budapest Zeneműkiadó Kft. . Home – Editio Musica Budapest Zeneműkiadó Kft. . 19 February 1926 . 17 February 2026 . 14 January 2026 . https://web.archive.org/web/20260114070919/https://www.emb.hu/en/composers/KurtagGy . live .
30. Web site: Kurtag György . Universal Edition . de . 17 February 2026 . 26 March 2025 . https://web.archive.org/web/20250326202444/https://www.universaledition.com/Personen/Kurtag-Gyoergy/ . live .
31. Web site: Composer Snapshot: György Kurtág . Boosey & Hawkes Composers and their Music . 17 February 2026 . 16 October 2025 . https://web.archive.org/web/20251016222617/https://www.boosey.com/composer/Gy%C3%B6rgy+Kurt%C3%A1g . live .
32. Web site: Budapest Music Center . BMC – Budapest Music Center . 24 May 1996 . 17 February 2026 . 13 October 2025 . https://web.archive.org/web/20251013092946/https://info.bmc.hu/en/composers/10-kurtag-gyorgy . live .
33. Web site: 2006 – György Kurtág – Grawemeyer Awards . Grawemeyer Awards . 20 July 2006 . 17 February 2026 . 11 February 2025 . https://web.archive.org/web/20250211190921/http://grawemeyer.org/2006-gyorgy-kurtag/ . live .
34. Web site: The BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in the Contemporary Music category goes in this seventh edition to the Hungarian composer György Kurtág. 10 February 2015. 27 December 2019. 27 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191227172334/https://www.fbbva.es/en/noticias/the-bbva-foundation-frontiers-of-knowledge-award-goes-to-hungarian-composer-gyorgy-kurtag-past-master-of-expressive-intensity/. dead.
35. News: Leticia, Yustos. György Kurtág premio Fundación BBVA Fronteras del Conocimiento en la especialidad de música contemporánea. 27 December 2019. Doce Notas. 10 February 2015. 27 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191227172343/https://www.docenotas.com/121656/gyorgy-kurtag-premio-fundacion-bbva-fronteras-del-conocimiento-en-la-especialidad-de-musica-contemporanea/. live.
36. News: Miguel, Pérez Martín. es. György Kurtág gana el Premio BBVA de Música Contemporánea. 27 December 2019. El País. 10 February 2015. 11 February 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150211062356/http://cultura.elpais.com/cultura/2015/02/10/actualidad/1423594565_541776.html. live.
37. Web site: IRCLive @ BOZAR . rostrumplus.net . 19 December 2016 . 17 February 2026 . 2 December 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221202153350/http://rostrumplus.net/2016/12/19/irclive-bozar/ . live .
38. Web site: György Kurtág. 27 December 2019. 27 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191227172344/https://www.evs-musikstiftung.ch/en/node/3257. dead.
39. Web site: Kurtag at 99: Hungarian Public Media Person of Year Celebrated on His Birthday With Concert . XpatLoop.com . 17 February 2026 . 17 February 2026 . 14 February 2025 . https://web.archive.org/web/20250214143447/https://xpatloop.com/channels/2025/01/kurtag-at-99-hungarian-public-media-person-of-year-celebrated-on-his-birthday-with-concert.html . live .
40. Web site: Kurtág . ORDEN POUR LE MÉRITE . de . 17 February 2026 . 5 December 2025 . https://web.archive.org/web/20251205143037/http://www.orden-pourlemerite.de/mitglieder/gyoergy-kurtag . live .
41. Web site: Recipients of the Foundation for Contemporary Arts. 27 December 2019. 1 August 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200801122224/https://www.foundationforcontemporaryarts.org/recipients?utf8=%E2%9C%93&year=2000&grant_discipline_id=2&grant_type_id=. live.
42. Web site: György Kurtág. 27 December 2019. 28 August 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190828081559/http://www.sonningmusic.org/the-music-prize/2003-gyoergy-kurt%C3%A1g.aspx. live.
43. Web site: 2006– György Kurtág. 20 July 2006. 27 December 2019. 6 November 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191106225927/http://grawemeyer.org/2006-gyorgy-kurtag/. live.
44. Web site: Dirijorul şi compozitorul György Kurtág, la Timişoara şi la Lugoj . ziuadevest.ro . 5 October 2009 . 28 March 2024 . 28 March 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240328183749/https://www.ziuadevest.ro/dirijorul-i-compozitorul-gyoergy-kurtag-la-timioara-i-la-lugoj/ . live .
45. Web site: Kurtág . György . György Kurtág: Every note in the right place . Elbphilharmonie Mediatheque . 27 April 2020 . 17 February 2026 . 23 January 2026 . https://web.archive.org/web/20260123084926/https://www.elbphilharmonie.de/en/mediatheque/gyorgy-kurtag-every-note-in-the-right-place/368 . live .
46. Web site: Gyorgy Kurtag. Royal Philharmonic Society. 27 December 2019. 27 December 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191227172334/https://royalphilharmonicsociety.org.uk/awards/gold-medal/gyorgy-kurtag. live.
47. Web site: Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. American Academy of Arts and Sciences. 27 December 2019. 30 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210830225529/https://www.amacad.org/sites/default/files/media/document/2019-10/ChapterK.pdf. live.
48. Web site: The Schock Prizes reward the creation of theories, art and music . 2020 . The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences . 18 March 2021 . 16 January 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220116123429/https://www.kva.se/en/pressrum/pressmeddelanden/schockprisen-belonar-skapandet-av-teorier-konst-och-musik . dead .
49. Web site: Ungarischer Komponist Kurtág erhält Rolf-Schock-Preis . Ungarn Heute . 17 March 2020 . de . 17 February 2026 . 22 July 2025 . https://web.archive.org/web/20250722120457/https://ungarnheute.hu/news/ungarischer-komponist-kurtag-erhaelt-rolf-schock-preis-71776/ . live .
50. Web site: מיכל . 3 July 2024 . György Kurtág . 5 July 2024 . Wolf Foundation . en-US . 4 July 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240704162501/https://wolffund.org.il/gyorgy-kurtag/ . live .