The Liszt Museum and the Liszt Academy Foundation Donated a Liszt Statue to the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
On 4 April the Liszt Ferenc Academy donated a copy of a Liszt statue to the Conservatorio di Santa Cecilia and the Accademia di Santa Cecilia in Rome. It now stands in the courtyard of the institution.
Liszt played a very important role in the musical life of Rome. His first visit to the Eternal City was in 1839, and as a famous pianist was later elected honorary member of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia. After settling in Rome in October 1861 he became an active contributor to the promotion and expansion of concert life in the city. With the help of his most important student Giovanni Sgambati pianist and another close friend Ettore Pinelli violinist and some other musicians Liszt could actively support the establishing of the first public music school the Liceo Musica Santa Cecilia as a part of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia.
Mr Gyula Fekete the deputy rector for reasearch and international affairs of the Music Academy initiated the creation of the statue and the Liszt Academy Foundation provided the financial support. The original statue was made by Caspar von Zumbusch during Liszt’s lifetime and several copies have been made since, one of them can be seen in the Liszt Museum. This replica was made by Balázs Szemerey-Kiss a lecturer at the Conservation Department of University of Fine Arts. The statue is the present of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, the Liszt Ferenc Museum and the Liszt Academy Foundation. The official unveiling ceremony took place in the first week of April when Professor Kálmán Dráfi pianist, head of the Keyboard Department of the Academy held a master class in the Conservatorio Santa Cecilia.
