The VIII. MiraTone Festival and Academy opens on August 22 with a special musical journey through time: at FUGA Budapest Center of Architecture, the V4 String Quartet will perform three of Beethoven’s defining string quartets. The evening not only offers a glimpse into three distinct periods of the composer’s creative life, but also evokes a Hungarian musical event that took place nearly 180 years ago.
MiraTone Festival 2026
Founded by violinist Miranda Liu, the MiraTone Festival and Academy will bring outstanding artists and young talents from the international classical music scene to Budapest for the eighth time between August 22 and 30. Recognized with the EFFE Label by the European Festivals Association for the third time, the 2026 edition presents its richest program to date, with 12 major concerts for audiences to enjoy.
The opening event itself promises a remarkable musical journey. On August 22, the V4 String Quartet will perform three of Beethoven’s string quartets: the C minor Op. 18 No. 4, the E-flat major “Harp” Quartet, and the A minor Op. 132. Heard together, the three works trace three distinct stages of Beethoven’s artistic development, from the dramatic energy of the young composer to one of the mature master’s most profound and personal creations.
Following in the Footsteps of a 179-Year-Old Concert
The evening gains an additional dimension through its connection to Hungarian musical history. The program was inspired by a Beethoven concert held in London in 1847, where the sixteen-year-old Joseph Joachim performed at the invitation of the renowned Beethoven Quartet Society. By then, the Hungarian violinist was already regarded as one of Europe’s greatest young musical talents; he would later become one of the most influential musicians of the 19th century.
The V4 String Quartet now recreates the program of this historic concert in Budapest. Its members—Miranda Liu, Daniel Rumler, Tomáš Krejbich and Bartosz Koziak—bring together the musical cultures of four Visegrád countries, while the ensemble itself represents the region’s cultural cooperation through music.
The concert thus looks both backward and forward: it begins with a historical precedent, yet comes alive through the interpretation of a contemporary international community of musicians. Beethoven’s music contains everything that makes these works so immediate nearly two centuries later—struggle and hope, drama and release, pain and consolation.
The opening concert also establishes the tone for the nine-day MiraTone Festival. This year’s program features works by 27 composers, alongside concerts by international guest artists and hundreds of master classes, chamber music rehearsals and professional programs. Read details here: MiraTone Festival returns to Budapest with its most ambitious programme yet!
Tickets are available without booking fees at miratone.jegy.hu
8th MiraTone Festival and Academy – Opening Concert | Beethoven’s Timeless Voices
August 22, 2026, Saturday, 7:00 PM
FUGA Budapest Center of Architecture
1052 Budapest, Petőfi Sándor Street 5.
This is how we support culture: Daily News Hungary is the official media partner of the MiraTone Festival.
