For Professor Péter Erdei's 80th birthday

Dear Respected Professor Erdei,

Dear Guests and All Dear Members of Our Celebrating Community,

If we consider the merits that could be recalled of Professor Erdei on his 80th birthday, it soon becomes clear that they are far beyond the scope of a short greeting. I might even say that it would make an extensive essay of many chapters. I shall therefore confine myself to giving the titles of the chapters only, which may express the respect of the Liszt Academy's and the Kodály Institute’s community for Professor Péter Erdei.

Who is Professor Erdei for us?

A community-builder and artistic workshop-creator, who has led his choirs on the path to perfection with a great and unique sense of style.

A great teacher whose values, which he himself represents, are ennobling for all of us as guidance to follow.

The highly respected Head and Founder of the Institution, who has led the Kodály Institute and the Department of Conducting and Choir Conducting at the Liszt Academy of Music with wise and strong intentions.

A dedicated follower of Kodály's philosophy and guardian of Kodály's values. Professor Erdei is one of those outstanding experts who has done the most to make Kodály's pedagogical principles known and recognised throughout the world.

A highly knowledgeable and broad-minded colleague, whose symbolic door is still open to this day if any of us would like to ask him for advice.

Dear Our Professor Erdei! On behalf of the extended family of the Liszt Academy and the community of the Kodály Institute, I wish you a very happy birthday, good health - and a little selfishly, for the pleasure of us all - many successful concerts. May God bless you and keep you for us for many, many years to come.

(Deputy Rector Dr. Csaba Kutnyánszky, on behalf of the Liszt Academy and the Kodály Institute)

As the director of the Kodály Institute, I would like to greet Professor Péter Erdei on his 80th birthday.

For me, Mr. Erdei is a great predecessor - as the founding director of the Kodály Institute, literally he is - to whom I can turn for advice with courage and sincerity, knowing that I will receive a consistent, wise and decisive answer, whether it is a musical question, a professional dilemma or leadership guidance. I cannot thank him enough for his support and friendship. I will also try to learn from him the secret of his impressive intellectual freshness, because he is an example to us all.

May God bless you, dear Péter, let us enjoy your presence and music-making for a very long time!

(Dr Judit Rajk, on behalf of the Kodály Institute)