Katalin Körtvési

Photo: Gábor Fejér

Katalin Körtvési is one of the most sought after figures of the Kodály Institute, possessing an impressive, significant and broad scope of Kodály-based music education experience.

She graduated in1992 from the Music Education and Choral Conducting programme at the Liszt Academy of Music under prof. Valér Jobbágy.

Beginning her music studies from early childhood, her most influential early piano teachers included Mrs. Erzsébet Osvay and Mrs. Anna Hajdú, and her solfége and music theory teachers Mrs. Judit Lichy Almássy, Mrs. Erzsébet Hegyi Legány and Mrs. Melinda Kistétényi

Teaching experience in Hungary:

2010 – present: Master Teacher at the Kodály Institute of the Liszt Academy of Music, where she teaches Solfége, Music theory, Basso continuo, Musicianship.

As a graduate of Klára Kokas’ training programme, she is the leading expert in Hungary qualified for teaching the Kokas pedagogy at the university level. At the Kodály Institute she delivers an elective subject “Kokas Pedagogy”.

Film on Kokas lessons at the Institute

Together with pianist Anikó Novák they offer “ZeneZen – Creative Piano Pedagogy” which is based on the principles of Kodály’s philosophy and Kodály’s disciple Klára Kokas’ pedagogy. This is a new approach in guiding the students towards musical discoveries through singing, movement, listening, imagination, full self-immersion, improvisation and instrument playing, while focusing on piano playing skills, the training of inner musical imagination and emotions expressed through free movement improvisations and other creative activities.

2006–2007, 2011–2012: Solfege Teacher of the Hungarian Radio Children's Choir

1995 – 2010: Assistant Lecturer in Solfege, Music Theory, Score Reading and Choir Conducting at the Teacher Training College of Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music

She regularly teaches Solfége, Kokas Pedagogy and ZeneZen in the Summer Seminars of the Institute.

Irene Verburg on Kokas lesson

Teaching experience abroad:

As a Music Teacher, Choir Conductor and Kokas Educator, she is regularly invited to teach and hold workshops and courses all over the world. Here is the list of her international teaching activity:

2000: North Texas University, Denton, USA

2001: North Texas University, Denton, USA

2007: Georgia State University, Atlanta, USA

2010: Teachers’ Academy for the aRts, Singapore

2011:
Kodály Society of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
Teachers’ Academy for the aRts, Singapore
International Kodály Seminar, Kecskemét, Hungary

2012:
Kodály Society of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
Teachers’ Academy for the aRts, Singapore
Keimyung University, Daegu, South Korea

2013: Kodály Society of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
The Cuskelly College of Music Summer School, Brisbane, Australia
International Kodály Seminar, Kecskemét, Hungary
International Kodály Symposium, Kecskemét, Hungary

2014:
Kodály Society of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
The Cuskelly College of Music-Summer School, Brisbane, Australia
Shanghai Conservatory of Music, China
“World Masters in China”, Kunming, Lanzhou, Zhengzhou, Nanning, China
Central Conservatory of Music, Piano Academy, Gulangyu, China

2015:
The Cuskelly College of Music-Summer School, Brisbane, Australia
Kodály Society of Ireland, Dublin, Ireland
International Kodály Seminar, Kecskemét, Hungary
International Kodály Symposium, Edinburgh, Scotland
Poco Academy, Kodály Certificate Program, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

2016:
The Cuskelly College of Music-Summer School, Brisbane, Australia
Poco Academy, Kodály Certificate Program, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
International Summer School, Kecskemét, Hungary
Kodály Seminar, Rome, Italy
“World Masters in China”, Beijing,Tianjin, Zhengzhou, China

2017:
The Cuskelly College of Music-Summer School, Brisbane, Australia
Sichuan Conservatory of Music, Chengdu 2019 China
International Kodály Seminar, Kecskemét, Hungary
International Kodály Symposium, Edmonton, Canada
Poco Academy, Kodály Certificate Program, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
“An Evening with Kodály”, Embassy of Hungary, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Kodály Education Days, Istanbul, Turkey
Kodály-Kokas Workshop, Balassa Intézet, Stuttgart, Germany
Kodály-Kokas Workshop, Royal Academy of Music, The Hague, The Netherlands
Kodály-Kokas Workshop, Balassa Intézet, Helsinki, Finland

2018:
The Cuskelly College of Music-Summer School, Brisbane, Australia
Kodály-Kokas  Workshop, DCU, Dublin, Ireland
Poco Academy, Kodály Certificate Program, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Sichuan Conservatory of Music, Chengdu, China
International Summer School, Kecskemét, Hungary
British Kodály Academy, Nothingham, England
Kodály Seminar, Rome, Italy
Kodály-ZeneZen Workshop, Tbilisi, Georgia

2019:
The Cuskelly College of Music-Summer School, Brisbane, Australia
ZeneZen-Kokas workshop, ESMUC, Barcelona, Spain
ZeneZen workshop, Tallinn, Estonia 
Kodály-Kokas Workshop, Dublin, Ireland
British Kodály Academy, Huddersfield, England
Sichuan Conservatory of Music, Chengdu, China
Kodály Education Days, Istanbul, Turkey

Artistic activity

as a choir conductor:

- Between 2006 and 2007 she led and conducted the Female Choir of the Teacher Training College of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music.

- As guest conductor she has been regularly invited to conduct the female or mixed choirs of summer schools, certificate programs, etc., such as The Cuskelly College of Music Summer School, Brisbane, Australia since 2013, Kodály Certificate Program in Malaysia in 2015, 2016, 2017, Kodály Seminar Kecskemét Gala Concert in 2018, Masterclass closing concert Sichuan Conservatory of Music, Chengdu, China in 2017, 2018, 2019

- Between 1997 and 2010 she worked in numerous theatre productions in Hungary as a music director, conductor coach and accompanist with the Sure Chamber Theatre, Szkéné Theatre, Jókai Mór Theatre and Jászai Mari Theatre.  

Scholar activity:

2014 – 2021: Expert of the „Active Music Learning Research Group” comprised of the pedagogues and researchers of the Kodály Institute of the Liszt Academy and the Brain Imaging Centre of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. https://kodaly.hu/research
Her field is the adaptation of the Kokas pedagogy in dynamic music teaching together with Dr. Gabriella Deszpot.

2014 – present: Expert in the research conducted into he Liszt Academy of Music on the adaptation of the Kokas pedagogy on university level with Dr. Gabriella Deszpot. The title of the research project is: Impact assessment and development of „Introduction to Kokas Pedagogy” courses. Possibilities of complex documentation and the role of Kokas Pedagogy in music teacher training through evaluation and reflection. 

A film on Kokas lessons at the Liszt Academy 

2016 – present: Consultant in the research of “Manifestations of creativity in free movement improvisation to music, during music listening. Kokas Pedagogy in music teacher training.” led by Dr. Éva Vass and Dr. Gabriella Deszpot within the Academic Development Scholarship Program. 

Project experience:

2021 – present: invited expert of the instrumental strand of the Erasmus KA226 collaborative project called PRESTO - Practices and Resources for Equipping Schools to Teach Music Online

2018 – present: Expert in conducting Continuous Professional Training courses for music teachers within the frame of the initiative of “Singing Everyday in Schools” of the Ministry of Human Capacities.

Conferences, symposia:

2019
“Looking forward – An overview of applying the Kokas pedagogy in music education in Hungary and abroad” – lecture at the 3rd Moveable Do conference organised by the Hungarian Academy of Arts, Budapest.  

2018
„Living tradition – the legacy of Klára Kokas” – lecture at the 2nd Moveable Do conference organised by the Hungarian Academy of Arts, Budapest.

“Applying the Kokas pedagogy in the teacher training programme of the Liszt Academy” – lecture with Dr. Gabriella  Deszpot at the Symposium „Music Pedagogy in the 21st Century in the Footsteps of Kodály” organised by the Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest

2017
“ZeneZen, the Kodály-Piano-Kokas approach, or how the different aspects of musical instruction interact with each other and contribute to a holistic experience of musical learning” – workshop with Anikó Novák at the International Kodály Symposium, Camrose, Canada  

2015
“Joy through the magic of Music”- workshop on Klára Kokas’ pedagogy at the International Kodály Symposium, Edinburgh, Scotland

 “The Implementation of Kokas Pedagogy in the Training of Music Teachers” lecture at the symposium “40th  Anniversary of the Opening of the Kodály Institute”, Kecskemét

2013
Solfége demonstration class with the students of the Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing at the International Kodály Symposium, Kecskemét