In 1956, the Soviet Union invaded Hungary. Ligeti decided to leave Hungary. He went to Vienna in Austria. He became a citizen of Austria but he also lived in Germany and in other countries. He composed his own music and he also taught other people how to compose music. He taught music composition in Stockholm, Sweden, at Stanford University in America, and at an important music school in Hamburg, Germany called the Hochschule für Musik und Theater. He retired from the Hamburg music school in 1989. Then he went back to live in Vienna. After 2000 his health was not good. Ligeti died in Vienna at the age of 83.