GEORGES CZIFFRA FESTIVAL
AND MEMORIAL YEAR

The Georges Cziffra Festival was founded in Hungary in 2016, by founder and artistic director János Balázs pianist. The Festival was established to commemorate world-famous Hungarian pianist Georges Cziffra in his homeland. Held each year, the event hosts the world’s best-known artists — among others Evgeny Kissin, Pierre-Laurent Aimard, José Cura, Vadim Repin, Gwendolyn Masin, Darko Brlek, and Massimo Mercelli — in Hungary.

The Memorial Year held in 2021, which will be celebrating the 100^th anniversary of the birth of legendary pianist Georges Cziffra, was included in the List of Anniversaries Recommended by the Executive Board of UNESCO.

Concerts in honour of the Master are offered in Hungary as well as in the most significant cities of the music world.

Péter Eötvös, one of the most acclaimed composers of our time, composes his first piano concerto in honour of Cziffra, the premiére of which will be held in Müpa Budapest on that day what would be Cziffra’s 100^th birthday, with the contribution of L’Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, and János Balázs, under the baton of Mikko Franck. The Festival and Memorial Year provides excellent opportunities to highlight emotional expressiveness, improvisational performing style, and the interpretation of romanticism.

We really appreciate the helpful cooperation of Mr Gerard Bekerman, and the Cziffra family.

We are honoured to have President of Hungary Mr János Áder as the chief patron of the Festival, and also Mr Gerard Bekerman, Mr Gergely Gulyás, and Andrea Vigh as patrons. We would like to thank the Hungarian Government, the UNESCO, and everyone who is supporting the realisation of the Cziffra Memorial Year.