5000 Forint Budapest Philharmonic Society

The Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra holds the distinction of being one of the oldest continuously operating symphony orchestras in Europe, founded in 1853 by Ferenc Erkel, who also composed the Hungarian national anthem. This coin was issued to mark the 150th anniversary of that founding. Erkel conducted the orchestra for its first three decades, programming Hungarian works aggressively at a time when Viennese repertoire dominated the region's concert halls.