Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music

Like its sister cities, Prague and Vienna, Budapest is a place thoroughly steeped in a musical tradition, from the moody melodies of Franz Liszt and revolutionary rhythms of Béla Bartók to the contemporary compositions of György Kurtág. There are numerous concert venues, including the Hungarian State Opera House, the Palace of Arts and a number of churches, like St. Stephen’s Basilica and Matthias Church. But if you only have time for one night of music, catch a performance at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. The three-story neo-Renaissance building and its nondescript lobby are a bit rundown, but the main auditorium is a Secession-style marvel with a gold-adorned ceiling, frescoes and mezzanine seating, as well as an immense organ that presides over the intimate stage.

Founded by Liszt in 1875, the Academy is one of Europe’s most prestigious musical venues—it has produced pianist András Schiff, among others—where most of the performances are by current students. The last time I went, an angelic-looking young woman did a marvelous rendition of Schubert’s Fantasie, a devilishly difficult piano piece for four hands, which she performed with her professor, who could not stop beaming as she took her bows to a chorus of well-deserved bravas. Be sure to reserve tickets well in advance, as the academy is popular with locals.