(Born; Lugoj, 19 Feb 1926). Hungarian composer. He studied with Veress and Farkas at the Budapest Academy (1946-55) and with Milhaud and Messiaen in Paris (1957); in 1967 he began teaching at the Budapest Academy. His works are few and mostly short, suggesting a combination of the most abstract Bartók and late Webern, though with a strong lyrical, expressive force (and sometimes ingenious wit). Most of his compositions are for chamber forces, sometimes with solo voice. Among the best known are The Sayings of Péter Bornemisza (1968), a 'concerto' for soprano and piano in 24 short movements, and Messages of the Late R. V. Troussova (1980) for soprano and orchestra. Some of his pieces (e.g. 15 songs, 1982) use the cimbalom.(c)Groves Dictionaries, MacMillan Publishers Limited, UK