International Conference of Eastern and Central European Symphonies No. 3

Date: September 16–18, 2026
Venue: Reök Palace, Szeged, Hungary

Organisers:

• Hungarian Academy of Arts, Research Institute of Art Theory and Methodology
• University of Szeged, Béla Bartók Faculty of Arts

Dear Colleagues,

We are pleased to invite you to the third iteration of our conference series examining the symphonic traditions of Eastern and Central Europe. As you know from our previous meetings, we explore the analysis and reception of symphonies from this region, contrasting them with the standard international concert repertoire documented by Bachtrack and similar sources. We have also examined the oeuvres of important composers whose significance, while profound, remained largely confined to state or national music cultures.

In Memoriam: Zoltán Rozsnyai

This year holds special significance as we commemorate the centenary of Hungarian conductor Zoltán Rozsnyai (1926–1990), whose career exemplifies the international reach of Eastern European musical traditions. After positions with the Debrecen Philharmonic and Hungarian State Orchestra—where he recorded celebrated Grieg and Gershwin albums with György Cziffra—he won the prestigious conducting competition atp Rome’s Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia. Following the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, he emigrated to Vienna, where he founded the Philharmonica Hungarica, an orchestra of Hungarian refugee musicians that became one of Europe’s most distinguished ensembles.

In the 1960s, Rozsnyai relocated to the United States, collaborating with Leonard Bernstein and serving with the Cleveland Orchestra. His most significant tenure was as Music Director of the San Diego Symphony (1967–1971), where he made numerous recordings for Columbia Records and revitalized the orchestra’s artistic profile. He subsequently founded the Knoxville Symphony Orchestra and the International Orchestra of San Diego. His untimely death in 1990 cut short a career of remarkable achievement and cultural bridge-building.

Conference Focus

This year we shift our attention more decisively toward concert life. We remain interested in symphonic art works—symphonies, overtures, and programmatic works—that can be analyzed from regionally relevant, extra-musical perspectives: documented successes, conspicuous failures, and works that became obligatory repertoire for visiting orchestras. For example, when Lovro von Matačić guest-conducted in Budapest in 1938, he programmed Bruckner’s Third Symphony alongside Petar Konjović’s Symphonic Prelude, Krešimir Baranović’s Overture to Striženo-Košeno, and Jakov Gotovac’s Symphonic Kolo.

As our subtitle indicates, we now turn to the stories of conductors who championed new Eastern European symphonies. Finally, we address the contentious field of concert guides. While we recognize that audiences require assistance in understanding new music, and that concert guides serve an important pedagogical function, we also acknowledge that such texts can be simplistic, ideologically laden, or formulaic. How do we write about new symphonies in ways that genuinely serve listeners? We welcome paper proposals addressing this crucial pedagogical question.

Call for Abstracts

We invite proposals in the following three areas:

1. Eastern and Central European symphonies – reception and analysis
2. Conductors of new symphonies
3. Concert guides – especially for contemporary symphonies

Important Dates:

• Abstract submission deadline: March 2, 2026
• Notification of acceptance: March 16, 2026
• Final program: April 15, 2026

Please send abstracts (approximately 300 words), short bio (approximately 200 words), and 5 keywords to windhager.akos@mma-mmki.hu.

Conference Schedule

• September 16: Concert evening
• September 17: Conference sessions
• September 18: Guided city tour and departure

Venue and Travel

The conference will take place in Szeged, a compact city in southern Hungary on the banks of the river Tisza. It is easily accessible from Budapest Airport by Intercity Railway. If needed, the organisers will arrange your transfer from Budapest Airport to Szeged at the conference opening, and your return journey from Szeged to Budapest Airport following the conference conclusion. The conference venue is the magnificent Art Nouveau (Secession-style) Reök Palace. This year’s conference is jointly organized by the Research Institute of Art Theory and Methodology (Hungarian Academy of Arts) and the University of Szeged’s Béla Bartók Faculty of Arts.

We look forward to welcoming you to Szeged.

Best wishes,

Ákos Windhager, PhD
Hungarian Academy of Arts
Research Institute of Art Theory and Methodology

Related content: https://mma-mmki.hu/from-periphery-to-centre/