Strengthening cooperation between Liszt Academy and the Berlin University of the Arts

President Dr. Andrea Vigh and that of the Berlin University of the Arts (Universität der Künste Berlin, UdK), Prof. Dr. Norbert Palz, held talks on the occasion of the recent premiere of Hungary’s Máté Bella's opera The Awakening of Spring, in the Solti Hall, by UdK’s staging of last year. As Prof. Gyula Fekete, Vice-Rector for International and Academic Affairs at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, pointed out, this was the first meeting at this high level in the long-standing relationship between the two institutions, and the leaders touched upon a number of important issues. In addition to further exploiting EU exchange programmes, they also focused on the implementation of joint projects involving students similarly to this opera performance, regarding that cooperation has so far been built up primarily between the two institutions' vocal departments. According to Gyula Fekete, Liszt Academy’s cooperation with UdK is fruitful because both are deeply rooted in the Central European tradition, and Liszt Academy – like Hungarian music life – has always had strong German connections. The different approaches have much to offer the two institutions: for Liszt Academy, the German way of playing music, and for UdK, studying and learning the Hungarian musicality.

Conductor Errico Fresis, Professor at UdK and music director of its Opera Department, has visited Liszt Academy several times as a guest lecturer and contributor to performances. In his view, education at Liszt Academy is excellent by international standards, and in some respects – for example in the field of theoretical education – even better than at other famous European institutions, including those in Germany. He said he had visited and worked in many countries, but Liszt Academy is one of the best for students, and no wonder many foreigners come to study here, as it is where the music of Bartók, Ligeti and Eötvös, among others, can best be understood. Professor Fresis is impressed by the musicality of Hungarians in general, and by the number and proportion of talented musicians, which is much higher than in other countries, given the deep musical traditions. He also finds the attitude of Hungarian musicians outstanding: they first pay attention to musicality, than to precision, whereas in Germany it is the other way round. He also said that there were many excellent orchestras in Hungary, especially in Budapest, and that this wealth is a treasure to be preserved and nurtured alongside the many talents.