Conductor Péter Halász, first conductor (Kapellmeister) at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf and principal guest conductor at the Hungarian State Opera, is a regular guest at many domestic and foreign institutions. The artist was a member of the jury at the Bartók World Competition for the first time this year, which helped him gain extremely important impressions in several ways.

At the Bartók World Competition, the jury was looking for what a young artist could do to capture our hearts, says world-renowned violinist-conductor András Keller, with whom we talked about this year's event, the problems and challenges of a competition, and more.

Sonja Šarić, first prize winner and audience's choice award winner of the 4th Éva Marton International Singing Competition, says that great friendships have been formed between the performers and she is certain that this victory is a big step in her career.

A defining figure, a head of department who has just resigned his post, bade farewell in a special birthday concert. Kálmán Dráfi represents the oldest traditions of the Liszt Academy, the Liszt–Cziffra line, and has mentored a string of exceptional young musicians who are among the greatest stars on the Hungarian and international musical scenes. As a pianist, he still plays with the same intensity, elegance and emotionality as ever, something that makes him unique in the world today and has earned him success, competition awards and (now rare) concert recordings since his youth.

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.