Ferenc Erkel composer, conductor and pianist was born on 7^th November in 1810. He was the father of Hungarian grand opera, written mainly on historical themes, he also composed the music the national anthem of Hungary, which was adopted in 1844. He became a leading figure in establishing the Hungarian national music and opera genre and its supporting cultural institutions. Erkel was director of the newly opened Hungarian Theatre in 1837. His first historical opera, Mária Bátori was performed in 1840, to be followed by László Hunyadi in 1844. He won the national anthem composition with his music for Kölcsey’s Hymn. In 1853 he founded the Hungarian Philharmonic Society. After the failure of the Hungarian war of independence he did not produce any major works until his epic opera Bánk bán in 1861. In 1875 he became the director and piano teacher of the newly founded Academy of Music. It is little known that Erkel was an internationally acknowledged chess player, as well as the founder of the Budapest Chess Club.