One of the most revered and performed living composers, Kurtág celebrated his 100th birthday in February 2026. Resident in Budapest, Kurtág has always thought of himself as a creative spirit firmly in the lineage of the classical canon. In his work he traces a line back to Bach, through Beethoven and Bartók, which although modernist in language is full of references and homages to recognisable composers. Today’s programme sets his music in this context. Many of the featured works are aphoristic fragments weaving around such seminal pieces as Beethoven’s Cavatina from String Quartet Op 130 and Kurtág’s own arrangements of Bach for piano 4-hands.