Erzsébet Áchim
An organist who has been building bridges between the Hungarian and Swiss church music scenes for decades, whilst his connection to St Stephen’s Basilica has remained a defining source of inspiration for his art throughout.
professional achievements
A Magyar Köztársaság Arany Érdemkeresztje
2023
Gemeinde Emmen Kulturpreis, Svájc
2021
Artisjus-díj
2007
beginnings
Erzsébet Áchim began her musical studies at the age of five in her hometown, Gyula. Whilst studying under Endre Virágh at the Béla Bartók Secondary School of Music in Budapest, she realised that the organ would be her vocation and the instrument of her life.
He graduated from the Franz Liszt Academy of Music with a degree in organ and vocal teaching and choral conducting, having studied under Ferenc Gergely, József Maklári and Péter Erdei. Whilst still a student at the college, he won a special prize at the first Franz Liszt International Organ Competition held in Budapest for his outstanding interpretation of the Hungarian organ repertoire.
From the very beginning, his artistic career has been defined by his service to church music. He began as organist at the Church of St Catherine of Alexandria in Tabán, and went on to contribute to the musical life of St László’s Church in Kőbánya for twenty years. For eight years, he performed as harpsichordist with the Budapest Strings in numerous European countries, whilst as a teacher he taught at the Antal Molnár Music School and the music department of the Patrona Hungariae Grammar School.
He has been living in Switzerland since 2009, where he is the organist at the Bruder Klaus Catholic Church in Emmenbrücke, the artistic director of the TonArt concert series which he founded, and the organist at the Schafmatt–Wisenberg Reformed parish. In his concerts and choral work, he regards the presentation of Hungarian organ and choral repertoire as a key mission, whilst also returning regularly to concert halls and churches in Hungary.
St. Stephen's Basilica
St Stephen’s Basilica is one of the most significant venues in Erzsébet Áchim’s artistic career. During her years at the Academy of Music, she became involved in the Basilica’s church music ministry, where she played the organ at liturgical services for many years and served as the second organist for the Basilica’s choir.
Key memories from his career are linked to the Basilica community and to László Fehér, István Koloss and Géza Szabó. The festive liturgies he experienced here, the joint concert tours and the personal relationships forged over decades continue to form a defining part of his artistic thinking to this day.
For him, returning to the Basilica is always like coming home. He regards it as a particular joy to be able to play the restored grand organ once more and, through his programme, to pay tribute to the masters who have played a defining role in his career. Alongside works by his great predecessors, his concert will also feature a composition by András Gábor Virágh.
At the Stephanus International Organ Festival
For Erzsébet Áchim, the Stephanus International Organ Festival is more than just a concert invitation: it marks a renewed encounter with the Basilica, its community and its restored organ, building on a long-standing connection. Her programme features works by the masters of the great organ tradition alongside contemporary Hungarian compositions, building a bridge between the past and the present, between memory and renewal.