- Won a lawsuit against filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, who used three pieces of his music in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) without permission or copyrights. Ligeti requested damages in the amount of only one dollar, stating that it was not the money but the principle of the matter that bothered him.
- He composed a piece for one hundred metronomes.
- He spoke at least six languages, including his native Hungarian, German, French, and English.
- Renown contemporary music conductor premiered and recorded several of Ligeti's orchestral works, including "Atmosphères" and "Lontano," which were heard in 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) and The Shining (1980).
- Awarded the Frankfurt Music Prize in 2005.
- Took on Austrian citizenship after fleeing Romania during Nazi occupation.
- His brother and father were murdered by Nazis.
- His musical education at the conservatory in Cluj was interrupted when he was arrested in 1943 for being Jewish, and he was sentenced to forced labor for the rest of World War II.
- Taught in Hamburg from 1973 to 1989, when he resigned because of serious illness. He is fondly remembered by his students for his warm and friendly demeanor, and his love of education and knowledge.
- Father of New York-based percussionist Lukas Ligeti.
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