Bartók’s 135th birth anniversary commemorated

Budapest (MTI) – A commemoration was held to mark the 135th birth anniversary of Hungarian composer Béla Bartók (1881-1945) in the Budapest Farkasrét Cemetery on Friday.

“We must continue to duly preserve and further promote Bartók’s legacy,” the human resources minister told MTI after the event.

Zoltán Balog noted that the government had allocated 1 billion forints (EUR 3.2m) to the Bartok Year, marking the anniversary in 2016-2017.

The amount will be earmarked for a variety of programmes and projects, including the publication of the first part of a complete edition of his works and an international Bartok competition for the world’s best performers in various genres, he said.

Several events related to Bartók will be held in cultural institutions and schools across the country as well, he said.

“It is not us Hungarians making Bartók known, rather it is Bartók who makes Hungarians known around the world,” Balog said, after laying a wreath at the composer’s tomb.

Photo: MTI

Source: http://mtva.hu/hu/hungary-matters