The statement signed by 171 teachers of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music was a little while later followed by the statement of the Students’ Union of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. Both statements, addressed to Minister of Culture and Innovation János Csák, expressed concerns about the university’s call for the position of the Rector. The letters are published below without alteration.
Index, which published the statement of the faculty members, recalls that the signatories of the current letter do not include the Heads of Departments and Members of the Senate: they have already written a protest letter on the subject to Minister of Culture and Innovation János Csák. In total, it is the protest by around 200 teachers, who represent almost the entire teaching staff of the institution.
In connection with the situation, in addition to the students, the teachers have also made a statement, which we are publishing in full, with the list of signatories, without changes:
„Statement by the faculty of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music
We, the undersigned performers and creative artists, researchers, and music teachers, as faculty members of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, would like to make the following statement to the public and the Ministry of Culture and Innovation.
We protest against the seriously discriminatory call for the position of Rector by the Ministry of Education, which excludes a significant part of the University’s teaching staff from applying: teachers of composing, musicology, church music, music theory, music pedagogy, jazz, and folk music.
In the face of untrue allegations in some press articles, we would like to emphasise that our teachers are united in their support for the autonomy of the University, its democratically elected representatives, the Heads of Departments, and, above all, the University Senate.
We remain committed to maintaining, and improving the professional standards of the University.
Budapest, 14 July 2023.
Márta Ábrahám classical violinist, Senior Lecturer
Gábor Alszászy classical pianist, répétiteur, Associate Professor
Antal Mátyás classical flutist, conductor, choirmaster, ret. External Lecturer
János Ávéd jazz saxophonist, Assistant Lecturer
János Bali classical flutist, composer, conductor, Associate Professor
Dr. Dávid Báll classical pianist, Senior Lecturer
Máté Balogh composer, Senior Lecturer
Adam Banda classical violinist, Associate Professor
László Baranyay classical pianist, ret. Professor
Bálint Baráth composer, External Lecturer
Nóra Baráth classical oboist, External Lecturer
László Bársony classical violist, ret. Associate Professor
Péter Bársony classical violist, Associate Professor
Dr. Gergely Barta composer, Associate Professor
Anna Belinszky music historian, Assistant Research Fellow
Máté Bella composer, Senior Lecturer
Dr. Károly Binder jazz pianist, composer, Professor
Tamás Bódiss church musician, voice-music teacher, choirmaster, Associate Professor
Szilvia Bognár folk singer, External Lecturer
Bálint Bolcsó composer, Senior Lecturer
Gábor Boldoczki classical trumpet player, professor
Sára Bolyki folk singer, Assistant Lecturer
László Borbély classical pianist, Senior Lecturer
Mihály Borbély jazz saxophonist, ret. Associate Professor
Dr. Péter Bozó music historian, Senior Lecturer
Gábor Bretz classical singer, Senior Lecturer
Rita Budai classical pianist, répétiteur, Teaching Artist
Ádám Balázs Czinege composer, External Lecturer
András Csáki classical guitarist, Associate Professor
Gábor Csalog classical pianist, composer, Associate Professor
Zalán Csenki folk musician, Assistant Lecturer
Tibor Csuhaj-Barna jazz bassist, Associate Professor
Mrs Tiborné Csuhaj-Barna jazz singer, Associate Professor
Erika Dallos choirmaster, classical pianist and harpsichordist, Teaching Artist
Imre Dani classical pianist, répétiteur, External Lecturer
Flóra Dobos-Orosz music theory and music theory teacher, music theorist, Assistant Lecturer
Dr. Béla Drahos classical flutist, Professor
Klára Dudás folk musician, External Lecturer
Gábor Eckhardt classical pianist, ret. Associate Professor
István Elek jazz saxophonist, ret. Teaching Artist
Dr. Pál Enyedi classical organist, Professor
László Erdélyi classical pianist, Associate Professor
Áron Eredics folk musician, External Lecturer
Gábor Eredics folk musician, Senior Lecturer
Eredics Salamon folk musician, External Lecturer
Anna Falvai classical pianist, Senior Lecturer
Katalin Falvai classical pianist, Senior Lecturer
Sándor Falvai classical pianist, ret. Rector Emeritus, Professor Emeritus
Béla Faragó composer, Associate Professor
Bence Farkas composer, External Lecturer
László Fassang classical organist, Associate Professor
Gergely Fazekas music historian, Associate Professor
Zsolt Fejérvári classical double bass player, Associate Professor
Károly Friedrich jazz trombonist, ret. Associate Professor
Anna Fűri voice-music teacher, choirmaster, Assistant Lecturer
Anna Granik classical pianist, répétiteur, Teaching Artist
István Gulyás classical pianist, Teaching Artist
Márta Gulyás classical pianist, ret. Associate Professor
Attila Gyárfás jazz drummer, Teaching Artist
Bálint Gyémánt jazz guitarist, Assistant Lecturer
Dr. György Gyivicsán classical trombonist, Associate Professor
Katalin Halmai classical singer, Professor
Miklós Harazdy classical pianist, répétiteur, Senior Lecturer
Imre Hargitai classical pianist, Associate Professor
Sarolta Harsányi classical pianist, répétiteur, ret. External Lecturer
István Hartenstein classical bassoonist, External Lecturer
Emerencia Héjja Bella folk singer, Assistant Lecturer
Ágnes Herczku folk singer, External Lecturer
Zsuzsanna Homor classical pianist, répétiteur, Associate Professor
Ágnes Horváth church musician, Research Fellow
Balázs Horváth composer, Associate Professor
Barnabás Horváth composer, Senior Lecturer
Gábor Horváth conductor, choirmaster, Associate Professor
Dr. Márton Levente Horváth composer, organist, Senior Lecturer
László Hunyadi classical bassoonist, External Lecturer
Balázs Istvánfi folk musician, External Lecturer
Zsuzsanna Ittzés classical flutist, External Lecturer
Ildikó Iván classical singer, Associate Professor
Zsófia Járdányi classical violinist, Associate Professor
György Jeszenszky jazz drummer, External Lecturer
Szabolcs Joó classical percussionist, Teaching Artist
Mihály Kádár composer, External Lecturer
Fruzsina Káli-Fonyódi classical oboist, Teaching Artist
Balázs Kecskés classical pianist, college Senior Lecturer, Teaching Artist
Balázs D. Kecskés composer, Assistant Lecturer
András Kemenes classical pianist, Teaching Artist
Szabolcs Keresteš composer, Teaching Artist
Dr. Nóra Keresztes voice-music teacher, choirmaster, music theory teacher, Associate Professor
Ingrid Kertesi classical singer, Senior Lecturer
István Kertész classical violinist, ret. Professor
Krisztián Kertész physicist, External Lecturer
Ottó Kertész classical cellist, Associate Professor
Keveházi Gyöngyi classical pianist, ret. Teaching Artist
Péter Kiss pianist, Senior Lecturer
Dr. János Klézli classical singer, Associate Professor
Andrea Kovács church musician, voice-music teacher, choirmaster, Senior Research Fellow
Sándor Kovács music historian, Professor Emeritus
Katalin Komlós music historian, music theorist, Professor Emeritus
Mária Kovalszki classical pianist, répétiteur, Associate Professor
Zoltán Körösvölgyi art historian, Senior Lecturer
Katalin Körtvési voice-music teacher, choirmaster, Teaching Artist
Péter Kubina classical double bass player, Associate Professor
György Lakatos classical bassoonist, Associate Professor
János Láposi classical violist, ret. External Lecturer
Attila László jazz guitarist, ret. Associate Professor
Vera Lugosiné Várhalmi classical pianist, répétiteur, Teaching Artist
Emese Mali classical pianist, répétiteur, Senior Lecturer
Norbert Medgyesy-Schmikli cultural historian, External Lecturer
László Mező classical cellist, Professor Emeritus
Anna Molnár classical singer, External Lecturer
Szabolcs Molnár music historian, Assistant Lecturer
Gábor Monostori classical pianist, Senior Lecturer
György Nádor classical pianist, Professor Emeritus
Nóra Nagy language teacher
Zsolt Nagy folk musician, External Lecturer
Dr. László Norbert Nemes voice-music teacher, choirmaster, Professor
András Németh folk musician, External Lecturer
József Lóránt Németh classical clarinettist, External Lecturer
Attila Némethy classical pianist, Master Teacher
Anikó Novák classical pianist, Teaching Artist
Krisztián Oláh jazz pianist, External Lecturer
Árpád Oláh Tzumo jazz pianist, External Lecturer
Endre Olsvay composer, Senior Lecturer
Csaba Onczay classical cellist, Professor Emeritus
Tamás Pálfalvi classical trumpet player, Assistant Lecturer
Csaba Pálfi classical clarinettist, Senior Lecturer
Julia Pászthy classical vocalist, ret. Associate Professor
Eszter Perényi classical violinist, Professor Emeritus
Dóra Pétery classical organist, Associate Professor
Zsuzsanna Polyák music teacher, External Lecturer
Máté Pozsár jazz pianist, External Lecturer
Judit Rajk classical singer, Associate Professor
Anastasia Razvalyaeva classical harpist, Senior Lecturer
Balázs Réti classical pianist, External Lecturer
Rohmann Ditta classical cellist, Senior Lecturer
János Rolla classical violinist, ret. former head of department
Zsolt Romos classical flutist, Teaching Artist
Rumy Balázs classical clarinettist, Assistant Lecturer
György Salamon classical clarinettist, External Lecturer
Dr. Szabolcs Sándor conductor, classical pianist, répétiteur, Associate Professor
Erzsébet Seleljo classical saxophonist, Senior Lecturer
Zsolt Serei composer, ret. Associate Professor
János Sipos folk music researcher, ret. External Lecturer
László Somfai music historian, Professor Emeritus
Péter Somogyi classical violinist, Assistant Lecturer
András Somos classical flutist, External Lecturer
Vilmos Szabadi classical violinist, Associate Professor
Barna Szabó composer, Senior Lecturer
Dr. Ferenc János Szabó classical pianist, music historian, Associate Professor
Judit Szabó classical cellist, Senior Lecturer
András Szalai classical cimbalom player, Assistant Lecturer
Balázs Székely voice and music, and music theory teacher, choirmaster, conductor, External Lecturer
Miklós Szenthelyi classical violinist, ret. Associate Professor
Roland Szentpáli classical tuba player, composer, Senior Lecturer
Andrea Szigetvári composer, Associate Professor
Borbála Szirányi voice-music teacher, choirmaster, Teaching Artist
László Szlama folk musician, Assistant Lecturer
Zoltán Szőke classical horn player, Teaching Artist
Zsuzsanna Takáts classical pianist, External Lecturer
Áron Tálas jazz drum and jazz pianist, External Lecturer
Brigitta Taraszova classical pianist, répétiteur, External Lecturer
László Tihanyi composer, conductor, Professor
Péter Tornyai composer, Senior Lecturer
Zita Váradi classical vocalist, Senior Lecturer
István Varga classical cellist, Teaching Artist
Oszkár Varga classical violinist and violist, Assistant Lecturer
Zoltán Varga classical horn player, Associate Professor
László Vikárius music historian, Professor
András Gábor Virágh composer, classical organist, Senior Lecturer
Klára Würtz classical pianist, External Lecturer
Béla Zsoldos jazz percussionist, ret. Associate Professor”
Statement of the Students’ Union of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in connection with the university’s call for the position of the Rector
„Dear Minister,
We wish to take a stand on the terms and conditions of the vacancy notice for the post of „Rector” published on the Public Employment Portal (www.kozigallas.gov.hu) on 03.07.2023 under reference no. 4722.
The terms of this application severely restrict the faculty members of the Departments of Music Composition, Musicology, Church Music, Music Theory, Music Pedagogy, Jazz, and Folk Music of the Liszt Adademy from submitting applications. The exclusion of teachers who are researching and teaching in the relevant fields and who can demonstrate the professional successes and competences required for the application from the call for the position of the Rector puts the renowned teaching staff of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in an extremely humiliating position, degrades the professional work of the departments concerned, and subordinates the quality of the academic work carried out here to the activities of classical music and the performing arts. Under the current application criteria, Zoltán Kodály, a famous figure of Hungarian music, would not be eligible for the top leadership position of the university.
Contrary to the diverse training of the Academy of Music, professors from the Department of Folk Music and the Department of Jazz, among others, were excluded from the call for the position of Rector, which discriminates against the decades of work that the University has done to raise the two music disciplines excluded from the application to the level of higher education. In our opinion, all the performing arts and theoretical directions represented by the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music should be considered equal, and no distinction should be made between them from a professional point of view.
Yours sincerely:
The Students’ Union of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music”