The cimbalom’s renaissance occurred during the Hungarian national romantic era, with composers like Ferenc Liszt and Ferenc Erkel aiming to elevate a distinctly Hungarian instrument onto the concert stage. Instrument maker József Schunda envisioned the modern cimbalom, enhancing it with legs and pedals to expand its possibilities.

A second resurgence came through Aladár Rácz, whose chance meeting with Igor Stravinsky in a Geneva restaurant led to a collaborative partnership. Formerly a player of Hungarian Romani music, Rácz became acquainted with the works of Couperin, Scarlatti, and Bach, which he began to perform on the cimbalom. Inspired by Stravinsky, contemporary composers started creating compositions for the cimbalom, establishing its international recognition.

The 1970s Táncház folk movement rekindled interest in the cimbalom, granting it a central role in classical music. Since then, nearly every Hungarian composer has written for the instrument, including luminaries like György Kurtág, Péter Eötvös, Zoltán Jeney, and László Dubrovay.

Hollywood has also taken notice of the cimbalom’s distinctive sound. Film composers John Williams, Hans Zimmer, and Ennio Morricone have incorporated it into their scores. Thanks to pioneering cimbalom artists like Miklós Lukács, the instrument has now found its way into world music, crossover, and jazz. Lukács’s collaborations with icons like Charles Lloyd, Chris Potter, Omar Sosa, and Uri Caine are prime examples of this expansion.