About Us

Initiated by Mrs Sarolta Kodály and in line with the cultural aspirations of the city of Kecskemét, the Kodály Institute was established in 1973, at the same time as several other internationally renowned art institutions in the town. Finally housed in a reconstructed 18th-century Franciscan monastery building, the Institute opened in 1975 with the objective of becoming the authentic centre for nurturing the music pedagogy philosophy created by Zoltán Kodály.

Over the decades, the Institute, as a distinguished international centre for advanced studies in Kodály-based music education and music teacher training, has had a profound influence on several generations of music educators from all over the world. More than four thousand students have participated in the Institute’s full-time (undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate), part-time or summer courses so far.

In 2005 the Institute became an affiliated institution of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, Budapest, thus gaining the chance to extend the study options with university degree programmes (6-semester BA and 4-semester MA studies).
 

In 2016 the UNESCO inscribed the Kodály concept under the Register of Good Safeguarding Practices under the title of “Safeguarding of the folk music heritage by the Kodály concept”.

2018 witnessed the start of a new era, the modernization and huge expansion of the Institute, which will bring many opportunities in terms of a modernized and significantly expanded infrastructure, thus attracting more students and facilitating more study programmes. The renovation and expansion project is funded by the Hungarian government’s Modern Cities Program.