Hungary has made many contributions to the fields of folk, popular and classical music. Hungarian folk music is a prominent part of the national identity and continues to play a major part in Hungarian music. The Busójárás carnival in Mohács is a major folk music event in Hungary, formerly featuring the long-established and well-regarded Bogyiszló orchestra. Instruments traditionally used in Hungarian folk music include the citera, cimbalom, cobza, doromb, duda, kanászkürt, tárogató, tambura, tekero and ütőgardon. Traditional Hungarian music has been found to bear resemblances to the musical traditions of neighbouring Balkan countries and Central Asia.
The Budapest Festival Orchestra was formed in 1983 by Iván Fischer and Zoltán Kocsis, with musicians "drawn from the cream of Hungary's younger players", as described by The Times. Its aim was to make its concerts into significant events in Hungary's musical life, and to give Budapest a new symphony orchestra of international standing.
András Ligeti was a Hungarian classical violinist and conductor who worked internationally. He was chief conductor of the Hungarian State Opera House until 1985, and chief conductor to the Budapest Symphony Orchestra from 1989 to 1993. He recorded with a focus on Hungarian music and contemporary music.
Barnabás Kelemen is a Hungarian violinist, chamber musician, and professor. He is the founder and artistic director of the Festival Academy Budapest and he co-established the Kelemen Quartet. His work has been recognized with the highest professional and state honors: he has been awarded Liszt, Bartók-Pásztory and Kossuth Prizes, Prima and the London-based Gramophone Awards, and is the holder of the Knight's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary.
Bálint Karosi is a Hungarian organist and composer.
Pannonia Allstars Ska Orchestra are a Hungarian ska band formed in Budapest, in 2003. The band's musical style has fused Jamaican-style ska and reggae with jazz melodies and elements of traditional Hungarian folk music.
Levente Egry is a Hungarian performing artist, composer, producer, performer, and pianist. He is the holder of the last Hungarian Diamond Record for over 100,000 records sold in Hungary. He started a classical-crossover project, Sentimental Piano Concert. After an early career in classical music, and acclaim as a jazz and pop artist, now he is now pursuing a career as a classical composer and pianist.
Compact Disco is a Hungarian electronic music band and musical producer trio based in Budapest, founded in 2008 by three musicians of varying musical backgrounds. The band represented Hungary in the Eurovision Song Contest 2012 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Balint Tarkany-Kovacs is one of Hungary’s foremost cimbalom players, who plays traditional Hungarian music and ethnojazz as well. He is the founder of the band Tarkany Muvek.
Tárkány Művek are a group of Hungarian traditional and jazz musicians from Budapest. Their sound welds traditional Hungarian folk with classical music and avant garde jazz, more recently with reggae and rock.
Hungarian pop is the pop music scene of Hungary. It is often associated with Rezső Seress's song "Gloomy Sunday" which was covered by numerous artists. The most notable artists include Zsuzsa Koncz, Kati Kovács, János Bródy, Zorán, Péter Máté and famous bands like Illés, Quimby, Republic,Locomotiv GT, Omega, Neoton Família. Among the new talents are Azariah, Krúbi, and Dzsúdló.
Renáta Göncz is a Hungarian lyric soprano, opera singer, founding member of the Moltopera Company, and regular partner of Kayamar.
David Schram is Hungarian musician and record producer, best known internationally as the guitarist of the Hungarian rock band FreshFabrik and the producer of Sexepil's Your Scream Is Music, and Shell Beach's This Is Desolation.
Charlie is a Hungarian rock and soul singer.
Attila László is a Hungarian jazz guitarist and composer. László is one of the leaders of Hungary's second generation of jazz musicians, which includes Lakatos, Dés, Kőszegi, and Pege. He was president of the Hungarian Jazz Federation (1999–2005) and performed with Anthony Jackson, Randy Brecker, James Moody, David Friedman, Gary Willis, Bob Mintzer, Peter Erskine, Hiram Bullock, Miroslav Vitous, Ilaiyaraaja, Russell Ferrante, and Jimmy Haslip. Laszlo won the Golden Cross of Merit prize.
Bin-Jip is a Hungarian electronic music group, comprising Veronika Harcsa as singer and writer, Bálint Gyémánt as guitarist and Andrew J as producer and DJ.
Viktor Tóth, alto saxophonist, composer and orchestra leader, has been awarded Jazz Musician of the Year several times. One of the top figures of the young generation of the contemporary Hungarian jazz scene, his performance style bridges styles, is improvisation-centred, "soaring" and filled with spirituality.
Rozina Pátkai is a Hungarian singer, songwriter and visual artist. She is a vocal artist who has Italian roots and has come to fore with her band playing bossa nova. They have succeeded in many Hungarian and international competitions. She launched her ’Minka’ projects in 2016, with which the all-round artist turns to fine art and to the meeting point of electronic music and poetry. Her husband is Márton Fenyvesi guitarist, composer and producer and has three children: Kamilla, Panna and Rudolf.
Judit Varga is an Erkel Ferenc Prize and Béla Bartók - Ditta Pásztory Award winner composer, pianist and university lecturer.
KláraPóczy was a Hungarian archaeologist, who specialised in the Roman heritage of the Pannonian cities, especially Budapest. She was also Director of the Aquincum Museum, from 1963 to 1973.
