(1881-1945).  Hungarian composer.

After early piano studies, Bartok entered the Budapest Academy in 1899, and performed his debut recital in 1901 with the Liszt Sonata in B minor. A few years later, he and classmate Zoltan Kodaly started on their quest of collecting folk songs in the villages of Hungary and neighboring Slavic and Balkan regions, and later, Turkey and Egypt. His enthnomusicological activities infused Bartok's works with these musical spices throughout his career.

Among Bartok's most important works are his 6 String Quartets, 3 Piano Concertos, 2 Violin Concertos, his Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta, and his instrumental masterpiece, the Concerto for Orchestra. His great contribution to aspiring pianists is his extensive collection of short piano pieces, entitled "Mikrokosmos".