György Kurtág

György Kurtág (born 1926) is a Hungarian composer and pianist, one of the last living links to the defining postwar European avant-garde. Born in Lugoj, Romania, he studied at the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest with Sándor Veress and Ferenc Farkas, and spent a transformative year in Paris (1957–58) studying with Messiaen and Milhaud, an experience that profoundly shaped his musical language.

Kurtág's music is characterised by extreme compression, emotional intensity, and an intimate relationship with text and the human voice. His works — mostly miniatures for chamber ensembles, voice, or solo instruments — distil vast expression into the most concentrated forms. Játékok (Games) for piano, The Sayings of Péter Bornemisza, and his opera Fin de partie (premiered at La Scala in 2018) are among his most celebrated achievements. He received the Ernst von Siemens Prize and the Grawemeyer Award.