Béla Bartók (1881-1945)
One of the most outstanding composers of the twentieth century.
| 1881 | born in Nagyszentmiklós, Hungary on March 25 |
| 1886 | began piano lessons with his mother |
| 1888 | his father, Béla Bartók Sr., died |
| 1899 | began studies in piano and composition at the Academy of Music in Budapest |
| 1903 | Kossuth (tone poem) |
| 1907 | appointment to piano staff at Academy of Music in Budapest |
| 1908 | 14 Bagatelles op. 6 |
| 1908 | String Quartet No. 1 |
| 1908 | First Violin Concerto (op. posth.) |
| 1909 | married Márta Ziegler |
| 1909 | First String Quartet op. 7 |
| 1910 | Two Pictures op. 10 |
| 1911 | Bluebeard's Castle (opera) |
| 1911 | Allegro Barbaro |
| 1911 | Two Portraits op. 5 |
| 1912 | Four Orchestral Pieces op. 12 |
| 1917 | The Wooden Prince (ballet) |
| 1917 | String Quartet No. 2 |
| 1919 | The Miraculous Mandarin op 19. |
| 1920 | Improvisations op. 20 (piano) |
| 1921 | orchestrated Four Orchestral Pieces op. 12 |
| 1921 | First Violin Sonata (dispenses with opus numbers) |
| 1922 | Second Violin Sonata |
| 1923 | divorced, married Ditta Pásztory (1903-82) |
| 1923 | Dance Suite |
| 1923-24 | orchestrated The Miraculous Mandarin op. 19 |
| 1924 | published "The Hungarian Folk-song" |
| 1924 | Village Scenes |
| 1926 | Sonata (piano) |
| 1926 | Piano Concerto No. 1 |
| 1926-39 | Mikrokosmos (progressive piano pieces) |
| 1927 | Third String Quartet |
| 1928 | Fourth String Quartet |
| 1928 | First and Second Violin Rhapsodies |
| 1928 | made first commercial gramophone recordings of own works |
| 1930 | Cantata Profana |
| 1930 | first full-length study of his works, by Edwin von der Nüll |
| 1931 | Piano Concerto No. 2 |
| 1931 | Forty-four Duos (for violins) |
| 1934 | Fifth String Quartet |
| 1935 | Twenty-Seven Choruses |
| 1936 | Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta |
| 1937 | Sonata for Two Pianos and Percussion |
| 1938 | Violin Concerto (No. 2) |
| 1938 | Contrasts |
| 1939 | Divertimento |
| 1939 | Sixth String Quartet |
| 1940 | Moved to United States during WWII |
| 1940 | honorary doctorate from Columbia University |
| 1943 | lectured at Harvard (interrupted by illness) |
| 1943 | Concerto for Orchestra |
| 1944 | Sonata for Solo Violin |
| 1945 | Piano Concerto No. 3 |
| 1945 | died in New York City on September 26 |