In memoriam Czigány György

Abstract

On April 6, Easter Monday, György Czigány passed away at the age of 94. He was a writer, poet, and music director who had received the Ferenc Liszt, Attila József, and Ferenc Erkel Awards; an editor honored with the title of “Meritorious Artist”; and a host of music programs, television shows, and radio broadcasts. György Czigány was born on August 12, 1931, in Budapest and lived in Győr until 1943. He attended the Benedictine High School in Győr. From 1951 to 1956, he attended the Academy of Music in Budapest, where he earned a degree in piano performance as a student of Pál Kadosa. From 1956 onward, he worked for 20 years at Hungarian Radio, serving as head of the music department, and from 1976 to 1996, he worked at Hungarian Television. In 1990, he was elected to the board of directors, and from 1999 onward, he served as president of the poetry section of the Writers’ Association. For many years, he regularly played the organ at the Krisztinaváros Church. He was awarded the Stephanus Prize in 2004, the Knight’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary in 2005, the Hungarian Heritage Award in 2009, and the Officer’s Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Hungary in 2011. He published numerous poetry collections beginning in 1971. He was the founder and, for decades, the host of the Bartók Radio program *Ki nyer ma* (*Who Will Win Today?*). In addition to his many official duties, he became a true polymath, and his charming, kind personality made him a role model for generations. We commemorate his personality and body of work with a few of his writings published in *Új Ember*.