BORN: 1953, Hungary
POSITION AT LISZT ACADEMY: President since 2004, Professor
STUDIES:
- diploma of Liszt Academy Teacher's Training College in cello in 1977
- diploma of Liszt Academy in musicology in 1979 (his professors included Gy. Kroó, L. Somfai, L. Dobszay)
- post-graduate studies in Wien (Wiener Universität, Musikwissenschaftliche Fakultät) in 1978-79
TEACHING EXPERIENCES:
Joined Liszt Academy in 1977, his main subjects include Hungarian and general music history
2002-2004: Head of Musicology Department
2002-2004: Vice President of Liszt Academy
2004-2013: President of Liszt Academy
MAIN FIELDS OF SCHOLAR ACTIVITY:
- PhD thesis, titled: Liszt-from improvisation to symphonic poems (1988)
- Hungarian and general music history, with special focus on Liszt and the turn of the century
- the oeuvre of Richard Strauss
OTHER ACTIVITIES:
1976-1996: worked as an editor, author, presenter of music programs in the Hungarian and Austrian media (Hungarian Radio, Hungarian Television, ORF)
1996-2001: worked as an editor for music publisher company Könemann (Cologne-Budapest)
since 2001: presenter of concert series specially tailored for the youth
2004-2013: as the President of Liszt Academy, he has initiated robust reforms and changes throughout the institute, including the launch of the Bologna-type education system, the foundation of new departments (Folk Music, Music Pedagogy), the introduction of the mentor orchestra system with the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, new own concert series under the brand of Alma Mater Concerts, the introduction of new types of fundraising activities, the involvement of private and institutional sponsors. Under his leadership the Liszt Academy was granted a fund of 40 million € for the infrastructural reconstruction of the Academy building. As crown jewels of the project, the brand new György Ligeti Building was opened in 1 October 2011, the grand opening of the Art Nouveau Liszt Academy concert palace was celebrated on 22 October 2013, in the last weeks of Mr. Batta's presidency.
MAJOR PUBLICATIONS:
BOOKS:
- Szemtől szemben: Richard Strauss; (Tête-à-tête: Richard Strauss) Budapest 1984; 298 pp.
- Álom, álom, édes álom. Népszínművek, operettek az Osztrák-Magyar Monarchiában (Träume sind Schäume. Volksstücke, Operetten in der Österreich-Ungarischen Monarchie) (Dreams, sweet dreams. Volksstücks, Operettas in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy); Budapest 1992; 136 pp.
- A zene tehetség gyökerei (Czeizel Endrével) (The roots of musical talent); Budapest 1992; 286 pp.
- "Opera: Composers, Works, Performers". – Könemann, 1999, editor-in-chief and author
- Die Bach-Brüder; (The Bach Brothers) editor-in-chief and author with Andreas Friesenhagen, Köln 2001; 380 pp.
- Képes magyar zenetörténet (Illustrated Hungarian Music History) - author – edited by Kárpáti János); Budapest 2004
- A Zeneakadémia, Budapest 100 éves épülete (Album of the Liszt Academy's 100-year old building (Az intézmény rövid története Liszt Ferenctől Ligeti Györgyig fejezet szerzője); (author of the chapter: The short story of the institution from Liszt to Ligeti), Budapest, 2007
- Die Frau mit Schatten. Éva Marton im Gespräch mit András Batta (Hg.) Parthas Verlag, Berlin, 2013.
OTHERS:
Numerous articles, reviews critics, forewords including, but not limited to:
- Die „Glockenspil-Idee" bei Liszt. Ein Problem der Lisztschen Kompositionstechnik; Liszt Studien 2. 1981, Kongressbericht Eisenstadt 1978
- 11 kiadatlan Mahler-levél a Zeneművészeti Főiskola könyvtárában (Gádor Ágnessel); Magyar Zene 1981
- Gemeinsames Nietzsche-Symbol bei Bartók und bei Richard Strauss; Studia Musicologica 1982
- Bartók und die Programmusik; Hamburger Jahrbuch für Musikwissenschaft 6. 1983
- „Programopera" zongorán. Sajátos stílusjegyek Liszt operaparafrázisaiban; Magyar Zene 1986
- Liszt, Weimar, Ideale, Kongressbericht Weimar 1986
- Gattung Paraphrase – die musikalische Hassliebe Liszts; Kongressbericht Wien, 1991
- Az ifjú Weiner Leó zeneszerzői stílusa; Weiner Tanulmányok, Liszt Ferenc Zeneművészeti Főiskola, Budapest 1989
- Musikwissenschaftlicher „Krämerspiegel", oder Second-Hand Informationen im künftigen thematischen Katalog der Werke von F. Liszt; Studia Musicologica 1992
- Der Fremde als komische Figur in der k.u.k. Operette; Die lustige Person auf der Bühne. Gesammelte Vorträge des Salzburger Symposions, Anif/Salzburg 1994
- Das verführte Volk in der ungarischen Volksdemokratie: Musikalisch geschildert (1948-1988); „Weine, weine, du armes Volk". Das verführte und betrogene Volk auf der Bühne. Gesammelte Vorträge des Salzburger Symposions, Anif/Salzburg 1995
- Sarastro beavatása; Zenetudományi Tanulmányok Kroó György tiszteletére. Magyar Zenetudományi és Zenekritikai Társaság, 1996
- Operette in Österreich-Ungarn. Ein Vergleich; Das Land des Glücks. Österreich und seine Operetten hrsg. von Erik Adam/Willi Rainer, Klagenfurt-Ljubjana-Wien 1997
- A mikrofonnál Kroó György, 1981-1997; válogatta és sajtó alá rendezte Batta András, Kovács János, Zsoldos Mária, Magyar Rádió, Budapest 1998
- Richard Wagner und Ungarn; Wagner Weltweit. Die Zeitschrift des R.W. International e.V., 10.Jg.Nr30, Juli 1999
- A Monarchia osztrák-magyar operettje; Magyar muzsikusok itthon és a nagyvilágban; "Symphonia Hungarorum" Magyarország zenekultúrájának ezer éve c. kiállítás katalógusához, Budapest 2001
- Balszerencsés remekművek. Vörösmarty-Weiner: Csongor és Tünde (in: Magyar Zene, 2002, XL. évf. 4. szám)
- „Yladok" – Sándor Emma és Kodály Zoltán (CD-kísérőfüzet, Hungaroton), Budapest 2006
MEMBERSHIPS:
President of Board - Bartók – Pásztory Award Committee (till 2013)
President of Board - Kodály Scholarship Committee
President of Board - Annie Fischer Scholarship Committee
President of Board - Leó Weiner Legacy Committee (till 2013)
Former Board Member - Hungarian Musicological Society
Board Member - Friends of The Liszt Academy of Music
Board of Trustees - Zemplen Music Festival
Board Member - Friends of Hungarian Opera
Former Council Member - Association of European Conservatoires
Former Chairman - Presidential Committee of Hungarian Art Universities
2015 Kis Virtuózok Alapítvány (Little Virtuosos Foundation) - board member
2015 SOS Gyermekfalu Magyarországi Alapítványa (Foundation of the Hungarian SOS Child Villages) - board member
2015 Friends of the Liszt Academy - chair
AWARDS:
1994: Erkel Award
2000: Péterfi Award of Association of the Hungarian Creative Artists
2008: Golden Job Award of HVG (World Economics Weekly – Hungarian Journal)
2012: Prima Award (category: Public Education)
2014: Széchenyi Award