About

Established in 2022 in the Musicology Department at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, the Central European Music Research Group is a platform for scholarly research in the Central European music of the last three and a half centuries and of all genres. One of our main aims is to explore Hungarian music culture in its broader regional context. Thus, our research topics cover musical phenomena that are connected to the Hungarian linguistic culture, the former Hungarian Kingdom, the former Habsburg Empire, East Central Europe under Soviet influence, and various German-speaking countries of the aforementioned historical period.

Our research embraces a diverse range of subjects, approaches and methods, covering the rich musical heritage of renowned composers such as J. S. Bach, Johannes Brahms, Gustav Mahler, Zoltán Kodály, György Ligeti, and György Kurtág, spanning from the aesthetics of music in the 18th and 19th centuries to the musical life in 20th- and 21st-century Hungary.

We delve into the social, political, institutional, and intellectual history of musicology in Hungary, shedding light on its development and impact. We also investigate the social, political, and performance history of 20th-century Hungarian choirs and Soviet-type music ensembles, providing insights into music culture under State Socialism and during the Cold War.

Our research areas also include the questions of compositional reception, discourse on music, music and cultural history and music consumption in the present time, and we also explore how these factors shape the contemporary music landscape. Furthermore, we critically analyze the contemporary European conservatory culture, exploring issues of gender and nation within this context. We are dedicated to examine questions of genre, intertextuality and the concept of ‘lateness’ and ‘late style’ in music.

As members of the academic staff at the Liszt Academy, we are committed to disseminating the results of our research both in the classroom and more widely.

Our research group actively participates in a wide range of activities including conferences, seminars, masterclasses, and publications. We aim to provide a platform for scholars and researchers to share their studies and engage in discussions about Central European music and broader questions of musicology.