TALLÉR, Zsófia

Zsófia Tallér (1970–2021) was a Hungarian composer and educator whose work encompassed concert music, opera, theatre, and film. Born in Dorog, Hungary, she studied music education and composition at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, graduating in 1994 and 1995 respectively. Beginning her professional compositional career in the 1990s, Tallér wrote concert works as well as scores for numerous Hungarian theatrical productions and national and international films. Her opera Leánder és Lenszirom (Leander and Linseed) was premiered by the Hungarian State Opera in 2015 and remained in its repertoire for three seasons. Alongside her compositional work, Tallér taught composition, music theory, analysis, dramaturgy, and related subjects at the Liszt Academy and the University of Theatre and Film Arts Budapest, where she helped establish the BA program in composition for theatre and motion pictures and served as Vice-Rector for Education from 2015 to 2017. Her work received numerous honors, including the Bartók-Pásztory Award, Artisjus Award, Erkel State Award, Fonogram Award, and Hungarian Film Critics Award. The Tallér Zsófia International Composer Competition was established in her memory to support emerging composers.