KODÁLY INSTITUTE OF THE LISZT ACADEMY of music
kecskemét • hungary
PAST – PRESENT – FUTURE Initiated by Mrs Sarolta Kodály, in line with the cultural aspirations of the town of Kecskemét, the Kodály Institute was established in 1973, at the same time as several other internationally renowned art institutions in the town. The Institute opened to its first students in 1975, housed in a reconstructed 18th-century Franciscan monastery building. Over the decades, the Institute has had a profound influence on several generations of music educators across the whole world who have come to study in Kecskemét and have participated in the Institute’s full-time, part-time or summer courses. In 2005 the Institute became an affiliated institution of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music, Budapest, and extended its study programmes with university degree programmes. 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 project is funded by the Hungarian government’s Modern Cities Program.
Dear Reader, It is my particular pleasure to introduce the Kodály Institute of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music to you. Through these pages you will be able to gain a valuable impression about our school, which has over the past four decades become the international centre for the most authentic promotion of Hungarian music education developed under the inspiration of Zoltán Kodály, the extraordinary man with a highly creative mind and spirit whose lifework has become exemplary not only for his contemporaries but for subsequent generations both in Hungary and beyond. We, working here in the Kodály Institute, believe that it is our duty to train music educators in the spirit of Kodály, who believed that dedicated, welltrained and accomplished music educators serve as missionaries for the preservation of the aesthetic and humanistic values expressed in musical art and for the transmission of these values, with their capacity to enhance social and cultural transformation, to the next generations, to our children. The essence of Kodály’s educational concept is rooted in the recognition of the significant role that music-making and music learning make in relation to the education of the whole child, in his intellectual, social and emotional growth. Music has the power to touch the lives of all young people in many different ways. Therefore it should, according to Kodály, be central to young people’s education. I hope that this booklet will inspire you to come and visit or study with us in the future. Dr László Norbert Nemes, Director
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THE ESSENCE OF KODÁLY’S EDUCATIONAL PHILOSOPHY Zoltán Kodály started to formulate his music pedagogical concept in the 1920s. Its social, aesthetic, psychological and pedagogical principles are the following: Musical art is ranked equal with other forms of artistic expression. Music is not for entertainment only, “the human soul has regions which can be illuminated only by music”. Folk music kept alive throughout the centuries by the peasant society, represents the musical past of the whole nation therefore can be considered the nation’s musical mother tongue. It is worthy of becoming public property just like classical art music. Music is an important part of social representation as well as of secular and religious rituals. Widespread musical culture can be founded only by public music education extended to all young people, therefore it is the duty of the school to create opportunities for music studies. Musical experiences and musical culture can be obtained through the study of the language of music, musical reading and musical writing. Relative solmisation is the most useful tool in the learning process. Scientific research has proven in many outstanding ways the effect of intensive musical training on the development of emotional intelligence and cognitive abilities. Musical training has to be founded on active musical experiences, the most accessible “instrument” available to everyone is the human voice. Choral singing has the power to create valuable communal experiences. After 1945, the development of school music education in Hungary was strongly inspired by Kodály’s pedagogical concept of epochal significance. The practical implementation of the concept was achieved by Kodály’s most outstanding students. It has gained remarkable results in the so-called singing primary schools offering daily music classes to its pupils. 2
SELECTED QUOTES FROM KODÁLY’S WRITINGS “Real art is one of the most powerful forces in the rise of mankind, and he who renders it accessible to as many people as possible is a benefactor of humanity.” (Who is a Good Musician?, 1954) “The human voice, the instrument accessible to all, free and still the most beautiful, can be the only soil where a general music culture may grow.” (Singing Youth, 1941) “Is there anything more demonstrative of social solidarity than a choir? ... there the work of everyone is equally important and the mistake of a single person can spoil everything.” (Children’s Choirs, 1929) “... with solmization... one reaches fluent sight-reading faster. This is, naturally, true for relative solmization only, since here, by singing the name of the tone, we have already defined its function in the tonality.” (Postscript to Bicinia Hungarica, Volume I, 1937) “Teaching in schools will improve if we first train good teachers...” (Popularizing Serious Music – lecture given in New York, 1946) „It is our firm conviction that mankind will live the happier when it has learnt to live with music more worthily. Whoever works to promote this end, in one way or another, has not lived in vain.” (Introduction to the volume “Musical Education in Hungary”, edited by Frigyes Sándor, 1966) “We should read music in the same way that an educated adult will read a book: in silence, but imagining the sound.” (Preface to the volume “Musical Reading and Writing” by Erzsébet Szőnyi, 1954) “Teach music and singing at school in such a way that it is not a torture but a joy for the pupil; instil a thirst for finer music in him, a thirst which will last for a lifetime.” (Children’s Choirs, 1929) “If we want to understand other nations we first must understand ourselves. There is no better means for this than folk music. Getting acquainted with the folk songs of other countries is the best way to get acquainted with other peoples. (The Role of the Folk Song in Music Education, 1966) “There are regions in the soul upon which only music sheds light.” (What Is a School Music Society Good for, 1944) „If one were to attempt to express the essence of this education in one word, it could only be -singing.“ (Introduction to the volume “Musical Education in Hungary”, edited by Frigyes Sándor, 1966) “I never like looking back on the way I have come, whether in the mountains or in life. I’ve always only looked at what was in front of me.” (Reflections. Foreword, 1962) 3
STUDY PROGRAMMES well-balanced practical and theoretical study programmes based on Kodåly’s concept of musical training and music education, delivered in the most authentic way by internationally acclaimed specialists, focusing on musicianship teaching methodology and performance for students and practitioners in the fields of music education, choral music, as well as instrumentalists and singers
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STUDY PROGRAMMES Bachelor of Arts in General Music Studies (3 years) Master of Arts in Kodály Music Pedagogy (2 years) one-year post-graduate non-degree course (Diploma in Kodály Music Education) along with specialization options in choral conducting, voice pedagogy, piano pedagogy and lied accompaniment International Kodály Seminar – 2-week summer course every year tailor-made short courses for visiting groups throughout the year Programmes are offered in English. Various scholarship opportunities are available for international students: Erasmus+, Stipendium Hungaricum, Fulbright, International Kodály Society, Foundation for the Kecskemét Kodály Institute, etc. Detailed information: http://kodaly.hu
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STUDENTS’ VOICES “This is a miraculous place, it is totally unique, there is nowhere like it in the world, and the fact that it exists at all is amazing... This is a place of transition for all of us, not only in a musical sense... The fact that we understand that our time here is limited, makes it more precious.” (Anne McCambridge, Northern Ireland) “This place is the best place to improve, because no one judges you and everyone helps you on the level you need.” (Maria Rosa, Poland) “The teachers here are amazing. To say they have a quality that you don’t come across everywhere is an understatement. There is a different attitude to pedagogy – which is obviously their emphasis – and that’s what I was hoping for and what I had heard about this place. Not just the quality of the teachers, but their ability to inspire you and keep your brain going and give you new, fresh experiences.” (Rory Lynch, Ireland) “What I like about here is that everyone is obviously here to learn and make music together, but there are no airs and graces (feeling of superiority) with anyone. Everyone’s musicality, their experiences, cultures, interests and uniqueness are all celebrated as one big community.” (Laura Shells, Ireland) “I like the fact that it allows me to be who I am... I can see why people want to stay here and why they prolong leaving, because it is very special...” (Amelia Giles, New Zealand) “There is an atmosphere of doing your best, rather than who’s-the-best.” (Patrick Kennedy, Ireland) “The teachers here develop you in your own space, in your own limitations, because they know they are not developing a training professional pianist or vocalist, but teaching you essential music skills that are pertinent to have as a good music teacher.” (Isaiah Koh, Singapore) “Studying here is quite an intense experience. The days are really full of classes, but I’ve never yet felt completely overwhelmed, which is a really good thing.” (Sarah Menogue, Australia) “I look back on my experience at the Kodály Institute in Kecskemét as the greatest learning experience of my life. It has certainly led to the most joyful teaching experience I have ever had.” (John Barron, Canada) “I’d like to express my sincerest gratitude to the Institute for the high academic standard of the teaching, and for the kindness and helpfulness which made the study year an unforgettable experience for me.” (Palle Jespersen, Denmark) 6
LIFE AT THE INSTITUTE One of the great advantages about studying at the Institute is its social environment. Studying, working and living together in this multinational and multicultural atmosphere is a truly unique, valuable and rewarding experience. Faculty members and support staff provide students with a positive working environment so that they can all benefit as much as possible from the months or years spent in KecskemĂŠt. Students literally spend the entire day with music-making: they attend courses, they sing, they play their instruments, play chamber music, they practise alone, they practise together, they sing and play in concerts, they make music at parties, they live with music and breathe music. There is no visible dividing line between work and after work. Sharing the love and dedication for music-making provides them with spiritual fulfilment and brings them closer to their calling, to their vocation to teach music, to bring the joy of music to the younger generations.
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WORLDWIDE CONTACTS The Institute maintains professional relationships with numerous music universities and institutions worldwide collaborating in a wide range of projects/work from exchange programmes to joint research projects. It serves as a great international HUB for music education, a HUB standing at the centre of an international network that unites some of the most talented, creative, experienced and dedicated experts in the field in order to preserve and further popularise both the pedagogical and artistic values of Kodályinspired music pedagogy at the highest level possible. Several Kodály Institute alumni, who came to study at the Institute from various countries, now have leading positions in the academic world in their home countries and are engaged in close and intense working relationships with their alma mater. Faculty members of the Institute regularly hold workshops, lectures and give concerts as well as master classes for the partner institutions and many more.
Countries from which students have come to study, for one year courses, at the Institute, 1975-2018
The Kodály HUB Under the Institute’s control The Kodály HUB, a public online knowledge centre has opened in which a Songbook, a Community, a Calendar, a Forum and further resources are available to assist teachers in their everyday work. The Songbook contains several hundred songs and music listening materials from all over the world at start. The songs are analyzed using several key, searchable parameters and (when relevant) accompanied by a game or movement activity to support the teaching objectives and increase the enjoyment of the lesson. The uploading of any new material is open to all new community members thus ensuring the continuous development and enrichment of the music repertory. kodalyhub.com 8
LIBRARY AND ARCHIVES The Library of the Kodály Institute is an important resource for educational and research activities and operates as a public music library. Its collection, available in Hungarian and in several foreign languages, covers the entire spectrum of the history of classical music, and it includes scores, audio and video recordings, books and periodicals. The collection is rich in material on Hungarian music history and musical compositions by contemporary composers. The Library curates the second largest collection on Kodály’s lifework. The music pedagogical Archives of the Institute is devoted to the collection and study of documents concerning Hungarian music teaching and the work of Zoltán Kodály. It includes a large amount of material (books, curricula and syllabuses) on the practical application of the Kodály concept abroad. It contains books, scores, records and thousands of other documents such as doctoral theses, newspaper articles, interviews, photos and concert programmes.
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MOST IMPORTANT SPECIAL COLLECTIONS Márta Nemesszeghy (1923–1973) and Lajos Nemesszeghy (1902–1982) were founders of the first musical elementary school in Hungary.
márta nemesszeghy
Katalin Forrai (1926–2004) was one of the best known and internationally recognized Hungarian music pedagogues, whose name has become inseparable from early childhood music education according to the Kodály concept.
katalin forrai
Dr Klára Kokas (1929–2010) played an important role in the research of the transfer effect of Kodály-inspired music education in the 1970s. Later, she developed her own pedagogical approach.
dr klára kokas
Jean Sinor (1946–1999) was a prominent personality of the international Kodály movement, leader of the Music Pedagogy Department at Indiana University (USA), former president of the International Kodály Society.
jean sinor
Cecília Vajda (1923–2009) was the founder and leader of the British Kodály Academy who contributed greatly to the worldwide recognition of the results and methods of Hungarian music culture and music education.
erzsébet szőnyi
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Erzsébet Szőnyi (1924–) is a retired leading professor of the Liszt Academy, one of Hungary’s greatest music pedagogues and protagonists of Zoltán Kodály’s music pedagogical principles.
cecília vajda
PUBLICATIONS From the beginning, the Institute’s publishing activity has gained acknowledgement from musicians, musicologists, and educators worldwide. The publications include textbooks used in musicianship training, books on music history and music theory, essay collections, yearbooks, leaflets, choral sheet music, CDs and DVDs.
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ZOLTÁN KODÁLY MEMORIAL MUSEUM AND ARCHIVES The Kodály Museum, which opened in 1990 in Budapest in the composer’s former residence, operates under the supervision of the Kodály Institute, and it is one of the most important memorial places of Hungarian musical culture. From October 1924 till his death in March 1967 Zoltán Kodály lived in this apartment at the Körönd, which today is named after him. Besides the permanent exhibition that presents Kodály’s apartment in its original splendour, the Kodály Museum holds temporary exhibitions and serves as a venue for short courses, chamber music concerts and musical gatherings. The Kodály Archives is an independent establishment but also a co-existent institution of the Museum, operating under the same roof. Its primary task is to properly collect, preserve and catalogue Kodálydocuments (manuscripts, printed scores, photos, sound recordings and motion pictures). Other aims of the Archives are to promote and introduce Kodály-research. The intellectual direction has been undertaken by Mrs. Zoltán Kodály, nee Sarolta Péczely.
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Publisher: Dr Andrea Vigh, President of the Liszt Academy Editor-in-chief: Dr László Nobert Nemes Editor: Ágnes Patakiné Sztana Layout: Allison Advertising Layout editor: Hajnalka Patkó-Huszti Publication manager: Edit Maros Photos: Kodály Institute, Gábor Fejér, Zoltán Tuba Kodály Institute of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music 6000 Kecskemét, Kéttemplom köz 1. Phone: +36 76 481 518 http://kodaly.hu Temporary address during the renovation: 6000 Kecskemét, Kálvin tér 1. (in the Old Calvinist College)
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