As a continuation of last year's successful programme, teachers of the Kodály Institute, with the support from the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the assistance of local embassies and cultural institutions, repeatedly held workshops and concerts in the past few months from New-Zealand to Chile, from Norway to the USA, from Japan to Portugal.

Our two-part report summarises the experiences.

As a continuation of last year's successful programme, teachers of the Kodály Institute, with the support from the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the assistance of local embassies and cultural institutions, repeatedly held workshops and concerts in the past few months from New-Zealand to Chile, from Norway to the USA, from Japan to Portugal.

Our two-part report summarises the experiences.

This long-awaited volume of Kodály’s writings on music education contains articles, speeches and interviews by the world-renowned composer, ethnomusicologist and pedagogue.

Organised by the Committee for the Intangible Cultural Heritage, representatives of musical and cultural institutions from Africa (e.g. Botswana, Kenya) visited the Institute on 5 June.

With the closing ceremony on 31 May the 2018-2019 academic year officially ended at the Kodály Institute.

All partners in this project share a firm belief that “music should belong to everyone” - it is crucial that every child (not just the privileged few) should have access to music education from the early years. Why is it important to start music education in early childhood and why should it be for everyone? The key is the proven benefits of music, the so called “musical transfer effect”. If children receive high quality, meaningful music education from a young age it is very likely to have a positive effect in many areas including: cognitive ability, literacy, numeracy, social and personal skills.

The exam concert of the Advanced Choral Conducting Course was held on 10 May. It was soon followed by the traditional closing concert of the 2018-2019 academic year on 12 May. 

It is with deep regret that we learned about the passing away (4 April) of Ida Erdei, retired professor of the Kodály Institute. 

At the OAKE Conference in Columbus, Ohio, USA, last week, it was announced that Péter Erdei was awarded with the OAKE Lifetime Achievement Award.

A documentary film directed by Attila Kékesi and Gábor Zsigmond Papp on the worldwide adaptation of the Kodály-concept featuring examples from the United States, Portugal, England, Finland, Scotland, The Netherlands, China, Japan, Australia.

Every year, the Institute organises a 3-5-day long programme in February or March, when, instead of the regular lessons, students have the opportunity to enjoy a variety of special lectures, workshops and other activities that do not fit into the regular timetable.

Applications are welcome to the 30th International Kodály Seminar which will be held between 15 and 26 July, 2019. 

Application deadline: 15 April

Péter Erdei, founding director of the Kodály Institute, an Artist of Merit of Hungary and Liszt and Bartók-Pásztory Prize winner, who started his conducting career 50 years ago, received the award on 20 January, 2019 at a festive concert held in the ceremonial hall of the St Imre Cistercian High School of Buda.

Music pedagogy symposium presenting the results of the most recent innovative projects of the Liszt Academy of Music and its Kodály Institute.

Dr Laura Zita Kéri, deputy director of the Kodály Institute of the Liszt Academy of Music received the Zoltán Kodály Award of the town of Kecskemét this year. The Award was presented by Dr Gábor Zombor, member of parliament, on the occasion of the 650th birthday of the town in the József Katona Theatre on 2 October, 2018.

On 14 September the 2018-2019 Academic Year officially began at the Institute, in its temporary home the Old Calvinist College.