Miklós Kocsár Passed Away

Miklós Kocsár was one of the worthiest representatives of the legacy of the twentieth-century choir traditions, creating his works with exceptional suggestivity, his composing work is outstanding. There are oratoria, choral work, songs, chamber and orchestral music composed for various instruments, symphonic and concerto pieces as well as pedagogical pieces among his works. 

Miklós Kocsár was born on 21 December 1933 in Debrecen. He graduated as a student of Ferenc Farkas from the Academy of Music in 1959. Later, in 1963 he was the editor of the Music Publisher, then music leader and conductor of Madách Theatre. He taught composition at the Béla Bartók Music Conservatoire since 1972 and also led the Composition Department between 1974 and 1984. Head of the folk column at the Hungarian Radion between 1974 and 1983, then deputy head of the Music Division between 1983 and 1995.

He was honorary president of the István Vántus Association since 1996, one of the founding members of the Hungarian Academy of Arts in 1992, board member between 2001 and 2004, full member since becoming a public body.

He was awarded the Ferenc Erkel Prize twice, in 1973 and 1982, he became Meritorious Artist in 1987, received the Bartók–Pásztory Prize in 1992, the Silver Pen in 1998, the Prize of the Hungarian Academy of Arts in 1999, won the KÓTA Prize in 2004 and the Kölcsey Memorial Plaquette in 2005.

He received the Kossuth Prize in 2000 for his composition work, in particular for his choral works recognised worldwide. He received the Hungarian Order of Merit Commander's Cross with Star and the Artist of the Nation in 2014. The Hungarian Academy of Arts considers Miklós Kocsár a loss of their own.

(Source: Hungarian Academy of Arts)

Liszt Academy President Dr Andrea Vigh remembered the recognised artist with the following words:

“We keep his true intellectual legacy. It was not long ago that it was our pleasure that he celebrated his 85th birthday with us in the Grand Hall. There are only a few figures in the post-second world war Hungarian music composing who managed to earn world fame without making quality compromises. Miklós Kocsár became unquestionable in music life not only through his works but also due to his extensive student circle. We have lost a beloved one with fantastic openness and of pedagogical greatness; we will never forget him.”