Don’t Accuse This Hotel Musical Director of Being the Muzak Guy
Photo Credit: Kornél Magyar (left) sharing some of his musical insights with guests at the Aria Hotel in Budapest. Aria Hotel Budapest
Skift Take
It's likely that the musical experience of most hotel employees doesn't extend far beyond karaoke. Not the case for a certain Hungarian concierge, whose vast musical background strikes a special chord with guests.
The music history of Budapest includes notables like Franz Liszt, Ernő Dohnányi, Zoltán Kodály, and Béla Bartók. Now, you can add the name Kornél Magyar to the list.
The multi-hyphenate music aficionado (stage musician/concert promoter/music editor) has been the musical director of the Aria Hotel Budapest by Library Hotel Collection since a month before it opened in 2015.
Drawing from a childhood surrounded by the sound of music (his parents were both musicians), and from more than 20 years of a mostly creative career across all aspects of music, Magyar oversees the Aria’s musical programming. He is responsible for curating the hotel’s music library, liaising partnerships with music venues, coordinating musical experiences for guests and managing the ambient audio in all common spaces.
Yep, he’s the guy who selects the background music in the lobby and the elevators.
But at the Aria, this music is most definitely not Muzak. The hotel is made up of four wings,
