Statement of the Piano Department of the Liszt Academy

We consider this decision historically unfounded, professionally unjustifiable, and a serious departure from Hungarian musical traditions.

We find it unacceptable that a competition which, for nearly a century, has been organically intertwined with Budapest and the Liszt Academy founded by Ferenc Liszt, should be removed from the cultural and intellectual environment that created its identity, prestige, and international reputation. The connection between the city of Pécs and Liszt — limited to a historical visit lasting only a few days — cannot in any way be compared with Budapest’s unparalleled Liszt tradition and the historical role of the Liszt Academy.

Nor should it be forgotten that the initiator and jury president of the first Budapest Liszt Piano Competition was Ernő Dohnányi, who at the same time served as the head of the Lszt Academy, named after Liszt. The intellectual and institutional roots of the competition are therefore inseparably linked to the University and to the capital city.

We find it particularly troubling that the decision was made unilaterally by Filharmónia Hungary Concert and Festival Organizing Nonprofit Ltd., without meaningful professional consultation or efforts to reach consensus. We consider it unacceptable that the leadership of the Liszt Academy and the professors of the piano department — who have played a defining role in shaping the professional standards of the competition over decades — were ignored by the organizers.

We regard it as a serious professional setback that, following the online preliminary selection round, the live rounds will be held with the participation of only 15 contestants. This number (originally planned to be 12) is unworthy of an international competition of such stature and fundamentally calls into question its former prestige, openness, and international significance.

The Liszt Competition in Budapest has played a pioneering and defining role in the world of music: for decades it was considered the most important Liszt competition, paving the way for Utrecht and Weimar later to become venues of internationally renowned Liszt competitions as well. Its status was ensured not only by its outstanding professional standards, but also by Budapest’s cultural radiance and the unique historical and artistic atmosphere of the Liszt Academy. We find it inconceivable that an international competition of such significance should be permanently separated from its natural environment.

We are convinced that the only rightful venue in Hungary for the Franz Liszt International Piano Competition is Budapest and the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. The competition must return to where it belongs in historical, professional, and spiritual terms alike: within the walls of the Liszt Academy.

Budapest, 19 May 2026

Dr. Gábor Farkas, president

Dávid Báll

Marouan Benabdallah

László Baranyay

László Borbély

Kálmán Dráfi

Gábor Eckhardt

Katalin Falvai

Sándor Falvai

István Gulyás

Imre Hargitai

Balázs Kecskés

András Kemenes

Gergely Kovács

Péter Nagy

Attila Némethy

Fülöp Ránki

Balázs Réti

Dénes Várjon

Klára Würtz