The President of Lisztuania Mūza Rubackytė awarded by Hungary oder

On 11 April 2024, Lithuania’s President, Mūza Rubackytė, was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit in Vilnius. The Order was given for her “consistent and purposeful promotion of Liszt, the founding of the “Lisztuania” Association and the regular organization of the Lisztofonia competition”. The award was presented by the President of Hungary Tamás Sulyok.

“The Icon of Music” named in the Laudation “…performing with full experience, clear expression of the composer’s thoughts, concentrating on the piece of music itself. That gave the world fame to Mūza Rubackytė interpretation of Liszt” said Mr. Alex Szilasi, the artistic director of the Liszt Festival in Gödöllő, Hungary

The full Laudation of A. Szilasi in English / Lithuanian.

The audience was moved by the speech given by Mūza Rubackytė. She emphasized the importance of Love, Freedom and Friendship values: “to receive this Hungarian award today is to give Hope to those who are attacked and occupied by the aggressors today and struggling for freedom. At the same time, it is also a rehabilitation of our collective memory”. 

Rubackytė’s full speech at the award ceremony in English / Lithuanian.

The Association of Liszt in Lithuania expresses the gratitude to Hungary for this recognition of Professor Mūza Rubackytė and the Liszt Society in Lithuania. The Knight’s Cross is a powerful impulse to continue the dissemination of Liszt’s work and philosophy not only in Lithuania, but also on a cross-border level.