Márta Sebestyén is a world-renowned Hungarian vocalist, composer, and arranger whose unmistakable voice has brought the richness of Hungarian folk music to global audiences for over five decades. Best known internationally as “the voice of The English Patient,” she sang on the Oscar-winning film’s soundtrack and contributed to the Grammy Award–winning Deep Forest album Boheme (Best World Music Album). As the longtime singer of the legendary ensemble Muzsikás, Sebestyén helped introduce authentic Hungarian and Transylvanian traditions to concert halls and festivals around the world.
Her artistic achievements have been recognized with Hungary’s highest cultural honors, including the Kossuth Prize, Liszt Ferenc Prize, Prima Primissima Award, Hungarian Heritage Award, and the Middle Cross of the Hungarian Republic. In 2010, UNESCO named her an Artist for Peace—the first Hungarian artist to receive this title—for her role in fostering intercultural dialogue through music. In 2025, she was further honored as an Honorary Citizen of Budapest, recognizing her exceptional contribution to the city’s cultural life. Today, Márta Sebestyén continues to perform, record, and collaborate widely, remaining one of the most influential and beloved voices in world music.