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György Kurtág (senior, born February 19, 1926) is a Hungarian composer of contemporary music.
Born of Hungarian speaking parents in Transylvania, Romania. Moved to Hungary after WW II, together with another Transylvanian born Hungaraian composer, György Ligeti to study with Béla Bartók in Budapest, where they learned Bartók had died shortly before in America. Kurtág studied composition at the Franz Liszt Academy, Budapest, under Sándor Veress and later under Ferenc Farkas, piano under Pál Kadosa and chamber music under Leó Weiner from 1946. In 1957 he went to Paris to attend classes with Darius Milhaud and Olivier Messiaen, and special classes with psychologist Marianne Stein. On returning to Budapest he wrote a String Quartet that he numbered as Opus 1, marking the beginning of new way of thinking music. Kurtág is notable for his The sayings of Péter Bornemisza for soprano and piano, Quasi una fantasia (piano concerto), Kafka-Fragments (for soprano and violin), and Játékok (pieces for one or two pianos).
His works are mostly published by Editio Musica BudapestTemplate:Composer-stub