BMC Hungarian Music
Information Center
The library holdings of Budapest Music Center is based on two large corpora and the own collection of BMC. The main body consists of the music collection of the Hungarian Music Council (established in 1949) and of the National Conservatory, founded back in 1840 and at present known as Béla Bartók Secondary School for Music. Former collection got to the management of BMC in 2003, while the latter in 2006.
The scope of the collection covers in the first place the work of 20th-21st century Hungarian composers. The whole stock amounts to approximately 90.000 items: 20.000 books and periodicals, 11.000 vinyl records, 8.000 CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray dics, 800 cassettes and about 50.000 scores (instrumental and choral works). The collection is available for registered members for use on location or for loan.
Our library grows significantly through donations, by receiving scores, books and audio records as gift. Our most generous supporters are Imre Földes, András Bálint Varga, Zoltán Peskó, the Ránki family and the Goethe-Institut Budapest. The Eötvös Péter Contemporary Music Foundation has already donated more than 1,600 items to our institution, including such scores and CDs that can only be found in the BMC's collection in Hungary.
In the reading room readers can access the sound equipment for playing the different sound materials: CDs, cassettes and LPs. Moreover there are three computers with on-line Internet connection in the library, which can be used to browse the databases and multi media collection of BMC, as well as other musical sites.
The volumes in the library - with the exception of periodicals and choral scores - can be loaned. The regular loan period is 1 month that can be renewed on the reader's request (even on the phone). Material borrowed may not be copied or transferred.
The information center is at the service of inquiries by phone or email (konyvtar@bmc.hu), and provides information concerning Hungarian classical and contemporary music, events, festivals, competitions and courses taking place in Hungary and abroad.
Registration and loan is free of charge, as well as the use of the databases and the multimedia collection.
Opening hours:
Monday-Friday: 9:00 AM - 4:30 PM
Address:
1093 Budapest, Mátyás str. 8.
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