The Budapest Music Center was founded in 1996 by László Gőz, who has led the institution ever since, with the core mission of the collective and coordinated presentation of contemporary Hungarian music. We will be celebrating the 30th anniversary of the BMC on 19 September 2026 with three concerts, and we have also prepared surprises.

CONCERTS

BMC30 | Autokoncert
September 19. 4 PM
Library

Thirty years ago, BMC’s activities began with the founding of the Hungarian Music Information Center and Library – and it is here that our half-day series of events organized to mark this anniversary begins. The program features works by two contemporary Hungarian composers that do not require a performer to be played. One of the best-known pieces in this unconventional genre is Poème symphonique, composed for one hundred metronomes started simultaneously but at different speeds. The Etudes for MIDI piano use machine-controlled traditional piano sounds to realize compositional ideas that the physics of the human body would not allow. Artikulation brings to life the electronic musical interpretation of human speech articulation on magnetic tape, while Autokoncert is one of the most startling audiovisual works in Hungarian music history, in which the instruments are not played but are left to their own devices. Composer Marcell Dargay will guide the audience through the program in Hungarian. Free entry is granted, but registration is mandatory.

BMC30 | Goldberg Variations
September 19. 6 PM
Concert Hall

We are celebrating the 30th anniversary of the BMC’s founding at the Concert Hall with a cycle by Johann Sebastian Bach, the most influential figure in music history: the thirty variations written for Johann Gottlieb Goldberg will be performed by thirty pianists, many of whom have been active participants in the BMC’s three-decade history, whether from the side of classical and contemporary music or jazz. As an anthology of Hungarian piano performance, the concert aims not only to draw attention to the richness of the country’s music scene but also to highlight the starting point of the BMC’s activities, the collection and cataloging of Hungarian artists and works. The Kurtág family, whose history is closely intertwined with that of the BMC, will also be part of the celebration: the opening Aria movement will be played from a private recording by Márta Kurtág, while the final variation will be performed live by György Kurtág. Tickets are available for 5900 HUF on the spot and online at bmc.jegy.hu.

BMC30 | Moment’s Notice Quartet
September 19. 9 PM
Opus Jazz Club

The half-day concert series organized to celebrate the BMC’s 30th anniversary will come to an end in the Opus Jazz Club, with a performance by the world-travelled quartet that includes BMC’s founding director, László Gőz. The music of the Moment’s Notice Quartet is framed by electronic effects, which are then filled by instruments that differ in both sound and character, engaging in a sensitive and magical chamber music dialogue. The band takes to the stage without discussing anything but the basic concept – their sounds emerge without prior planning, born in the fleeting reality of the moment, illuminating the interconnections between jazz, classical, contemporary and electronic music. At this concert, the four musicians will again demonstrate the highest art of spontaneous music-making. Tickets are available for 3900 HUF on the spot and online at bmc.jegy.hu.

GIFT VOUCHER

To mark the anniversary, we are also launching our gift vouchers, allowing you to give admission to events at the Concert Hall and/or the Opus Jazz Club to your music-loving family members and friends. The Concert Hall’s programme, which includes orchestral concerts, chamber music concerts and solo piano recitals, spans every era of music history, featuring a line-up of both Hungarian and international artists. The Opus Jazz Club showcases the most adventurous bands from the European and Hungarian jazz scenes, ranging from audience-favourite Hungarian performers to experimental and modern productions.

BMC gift vouchers are available in denominations of 5,000, 10,000 and 20,000 Ft. The amount can be used in multiple instalments to purchase ticket(s) for different performances. Gift vouchers can be purchased and redeemed online or in person at our ticket office.

The gift voucher is valid for one year from the date of purchase and can only be used to purchase tickets for productions organised by BMC (marked ℗ BMC on the website and in the programme booklet). The gift voucher cannot be exchanged for cash. If the holder of the gift voucher purchases a ticket for an amount lower than the value stated on the voucher, BMC is unable to issue a cash refund.

MERCH

We have selected ten album covers from the past three decades of BMC Records and printed them onto T-shirts and canvas bags. These merchandise items will be available to purchase from 19 September 2026 at the BMC box office, and BMC Passport holders can also obtain them by collecting stamps.

BMC PASSPORT

To mark the 30th anniversary of BMC, we are launching a stamp collection booklet called the BMC Passport. Concert-goers can collect a stamp for every ticket purchased for a concert organised by us (marked ℗ BMC on the website and in the programme booklet), which they can then exchange for gifts as follows:

5th stamp = BMC30 canvas bag
10th stamp = BMC Records album
15th stamp = BMC30 T-shirt
30th stamp = BMC30 canvas bag, BMC30 T-shirt, BMC Records album and 2 ℗ BMC concert tickets.

You can request your own BMC Passport at our ticket office from 19 September 2026. You can have your Passport stamped and redeem your stamps during the ticket office’s opening hours, upon presenting your concert ticket or season ticket. The collection period ends on 31 December 2027.

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