Beethoven was born 250 years ago. To mark the approaching anniversary, we asked musicologist Sándor Kovács, head of the Doctoral School of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, to give us a truthful and detailed portrait of Beethoven, most often described in anecdotes as morose and deaf.

In May 1799, Baroness Anna Seeberg and her daughters left Budapest for Vienna to take piano lessons from Ludwig van Beethoven, the 29-year-old up-and-coming artist of the day. The innocent trip resulted in lifelong friendships and a fatal love affair. Dr Judith Bajzáth, head of the visitors centre at the Agricultural Research Centre, talks about the details.

This year’s Prima Primissima Awards were given to outstanding representatives of Hungarian intellectual life, art, science and sport. At tha gala night on Friday, Kálmán Balogh cimbalom artist, teacher at the Liszt Academy Folk Music Department was one of the award winners.

This is to inform our visitors that during the holiday season our Liszt Ferenc Square ticket office will be open as usual, with the exception of the 24th, 25th and 26th of December.