The Association of Hungarian Composers was founded on October 14, 1990. Members of the Composers’ Section of the then-dissolving Association of Hungarian Musicians—which had encompassed all areas of musical life—automatically became members of the new Association. Initially, membership was limited to composers of classical and popular music, but lyricists were later included as well. From the outset, the membership grew to include young people and Hungarian colleagues from beyond the borders who had not been (or could not have been) members of the previous association. For a long time now, the membership has hovered around 150, fluctuating based on new admissions and the passing of existing members.
The Association operates in one specific capacity as the legal successor to the Association of Hungarian Musicians: it serves as the Hungarian section of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM). This role entails specific duties, such as submitting Hungarian compositions for the World New Music Days, arranging travel for the composers of selected works, and attending and participating in the work of the annual General Assembly.
Upon the Association’s founding, Attila Bozay was elected president (1990–92); he stepped down after two years and was succeeded by Kamilló Lendvay (1992–93), followed by Zoltán Jeney, who held the presidency for three years. Máté Hollós has served as president since 1996. The original statutes limited the president’s tenure to two three-year terms and board members’ terms to two two-year periods; however, the General Assembly lifted this restriction in 2002, as it would have forced the replacement of capable leaders without there being any actual risk of the abuses the limit was originally intended to prevent. Máté Hollós was re-elected every three years until 2021, when he stepped down from the position at his own request. The General Assembly subsequently elected him Honorary President. He was succeeded by Máté Balogh (2021–24), and Bence Kutrik has served as president since then.
The Association serves as a consultative partner to cultural authorities and local governments—a role it previously fulfilled regularly and now does on an occasional basis. In the past, its opinion was routinely sought regarding the support of music organizations, the awarding of artistic prizes, and the selection of curators for the National Cultural Fund (NKA), placing it on an equal footing with the two music umbrella organizations—the Hungarian Music Council and the Hungarian Musicians’ Forum—that represent numerous associations. While it no longer participates directly in the awarding of artistic prizes, it makes recommendations regarding the composition of the decision-making committees; however, it is directly involved in the awarding of the Zoltán Kodály Scholarship.
The Association was a founding board member of the European Composers Forum (ECF), which is now a pillar organization of the European Composer and Songwriter Alliance (ECSA). It is also a member of the International Society for Contemporary Music (ISCM). The Association plays an active role in the work of the organization that lobbies the European Parliament on behalf of music creators, participating in its two annual general assemblies as well as in ongoing processes between them.
Since its establishment in 2001, the Association has managed the Board of Trustees for Music Publishing Grants, which distributes the interest generated by a principal fund in a democratic and transparent manner to support the publication of contemporary Hungarian musical works. The association has organized numerous international and domestic composition competitions; furthermore, since 1999, it has awarded the Benedek Istvánffy Prize to an outstanding work by a young composer premiered in the preceding year, and since 2010, it has also recognized—with the Miklós Orszáczky Prize—an exceptional work in the realm of sophisticated popular music. In 2025, it established the Tibor Miklós Prize to honor outstanding achievements by young lyricists.
Subject to financial support, the association organizes concerts and maintains international ties in this field; thanks to its activities in music publishing and concert organization, it was granted public-benefit status in 2014.
