The Old Academy of Music Building Opened 145 Years Ago

In the second half of the 19th century, Budapest developed rapidly, which had an impact on cultural life and education. As a result of this development, the Academy of Music opened its doors on 14 November 1875. Teaching first started in the building on Hal Square (roughly where Irányi Street 1 is today, towards Molnár Street), but the institution moved four years later and the building was demolished when the Elisabeth Bridge was built.

The Academy of Music moved to the building on Sugár Street (now Andrássy Avenue) 145 years ago, in 1879, and is now known as the Old Academy of Music. Franz Liszt's apartment was located on the first floor of the new building, while Ferenc Erkel, the director, lived on the second floor with his family. The classrooms were on the second and third floors. The first-floor apartment is now a museum where visitors can see Franz Liszt's home and daily life, and from the museum, just as in Liszt's life, there is still direct access to the concert hall, although the chamber hall is now accessible to performers and the public via different entrances.

The concert hall of the Old Academy of Music was inaugurated on 14 March 1880, with a morning concert at 11 a.m. The concert lasted about three hours and featured mainly piano works performed by the students of the Academy. The morning concerts are still an important part of the Old Academy of Music: the Liszt Museum offers high-quality morning concerts weekly on Saturdays.