Born in Hungary on December 16, 1882, Zoltán Kodály grew up
in a rich musical environment created by his father, a local railway station
master but also an amateur violinist. Though he grew up hearing the music of
the German masters, Kodály nevertheless developed a strong interest for the
folk music of his native land, an affinity that would last his entire life.
After graduating from grammar school in 1900, he simultaneously enrolled in the
Budapest University, studying Germanic and Hungarian literature, and the
Budapest Academy of Music. Kodály excelled at his musical studies, taking a
diploma in composition in 1904 and a second diploma in music education the
following year. In 1906, he earned a Ph.D. for his research and analysis of
Hungarian folksong. His research and cataloging of Hungarian folksong lead
Kodály to a meeting with Béla Bartók, who shared Kodály's enthusiasm for
folksong, and the two formed a lifelong friendship.
The year 1906 also saw Kodály's debut as a composer with a
successful performance of his Summer
Evening at the Academy of Music. His first international success, however,
did not come until 1923, delayed by the growing political instability of Europe
and eventual outbreak of World War I, with his Psalmus Hungaricus. The piece premiered at a concert, which also
included works by Bartók and Dohnányi, to celebrate the 50th
anniversary of the unification of Buda and Pest. Following a few years later,
Kodály produced his most famous work, the opera Háry János and its accompanying
orchestral suite.
Kodály's reputation as a composer was rivaled by his
reputation as a music educator and ethnomusicologist. He possessed a strong
passion for music education and sought to reform music teaching in the lower
and middle schools of Hungary. He published several important educational works
which today are collectively known as the "Kodály Method." In 1964, he was
honored for his academic contributions and served as honorary president of the
International Society of Music Educators. Kodály died on March 6, 1967.
Zoltan Kodály
Biography
Born in Hungary on December 16, 1882, Zoltán Kodály grew up in a rich musical environment created by his father, a local railway station master but also an amateur violinist. Though he grew up hearing the music of the German masters, Kodály nevertheless developed a strong interest for the folk music of his native land, an affinity that would last his entire life. After graduating from grammar school in 1900, he simultaneously enrolled in the Budapest University, studying Germanic and Hungarian literature, and the Budapest Academy of Music. Kodály excelled at his musical studies, taking a diploma in composition in 1904 and a second diploma in music education the following year. In 1906, he earned a Ph.D. for his research and analysis of Hungarian folksong. His research and cataloging of Hungarian folksong lead Kodály to a meeting with Béla Bartók, who shared Kodály's enthusiasm for folksong, and the two formed a lifelong friendship.
The year 1906 also saw Kodály's debut as a composer with a successful performance of his Summer Evening at the Academy of Music. His first international success, however, did not come until 1923, delayed by the growing political instability of Europe and eventual outbreak of World War I, with his Psalmus Hungaricus. The piece premiered at a concert, which also included works by Bartók and Dohnányi, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the unification of Buda and Pest. Following a few years later, Kodály produced his most famous work, the opera Háry János and its accompanying orchestral suite.
Kodály's reputation as a composer was rivaled by his reputation as a music educator and ethnomusicologist. He possessed a strong passion for music education and sought to reform music teaching in the lower and middle schools of Hungary. He published several important educational works which today are collectively known as the "Kodály Method." In 1964, he was honored for his academic contributions and served as honorary president of the International Society of Music Educators. Kodály died on March 6, 1967.