Kodály Intézet

Tájékoztatjuk az érdeklődőket, hogy az Intézet és könyvtára 2026. augusztusában műszaki munkálatok miatt zárva tart.
Nyitás: 2026. szeptember 1.

Sixty-five years ago, in August 1961, Zoltán Kodály was elected President of the International Folk Music Council (IFMC).
Further details can be found in the post by the Magyar Kodály Társaság Hivatalos Oldala (Hungarian Kodály Society)👇 (The photograph shows Kodály in London in 1960.)

65 éve, 1961 augusztusában választotta elnökévé Kodály Zoltánt a Nemzetközi Népzenei
Tanács (IFMC – International Folk Music Council).
Megválasztása a magyar népzenekutatás nemzetközi rangjának elismerése is volt, mint
reflektál erre Richter Pál írása a Magyar Zene 62. évfolyamának 2. számában. Elnökként azt
az elvet képviselte, hogy a népzenekutatás a nemzeti kutatóműhelyek együttműködésére
kell épüljön, ösztönözte a tudományos alapkutatásokat, a hiteles hangfelvételek gyűjtését és
közzétételét, valamint hozzájárult ahhoz, hogy az etnomuzikológia egyre inkább a zene
társadalmi és kulturális összefüggéseit is vizsgálja. Az ő elnöksége idején rendezhette meg
Budapest az IFMC 1964-es konferenciáját, amely tovább erősítette Magyarország
nemzetközi szakmai tekintélyét. A döntés kölcsönösen gyümölcsözőnek bizonyult: a Tanács
világhírű, nagy tekintélyű vezetőt nyert, Kodály Zoltán pedig nemzetközi fórumok egész
során fejthette ki véleményét a népzene megőrzésének és kutatásának fontosságáról.
A képen 1960-ban látjuk Kodályt, Londonban.

Sixty-five years ago, in August 1961, Zoltán Kodály was elected President of the International Folk Music Council (IFMC).
His election also signified international recognition of Hungarian folk music research, as reflected in Pál Richter’s article published in issue 2 of volume 62 of Magyar Zene. As president, Kodály advocated the principle that folk music research should be built upon the cooperation of national research communities. He encouraged fundamental scholarly research, the collection and publication of authentic sound recordings, and contributed to the development of ethnomusicology as a field increasingly attentive to the social and cultural contexts of music. During his presidency, Budapest hosted the IFMC conference in 1964, further strengthening Hungary’s international professional reputation.
The decision proved mutually beneficial: the Council gained a world-renowned and highly respected leader, while Zoltán Kodály had the opportunity to express his views on the importance of preserving and researching folk music across numerous international forums.
The photograph shows Kodály in London in 1960.

Vivienne Tan, our alumna, returned to the Kodály Institute this summer. This is her testimonial on the 35th International Summer Seminar's advanced conducting course. Thanks for sharing, dear Vivienne!
"I left a piece of my heart in Hungary, and I went back to retrieve it.
I'm grateful to have taken part in this masterclass alongside such talented and wonderful conductors and singers. It was an intense and demanding week, but I learnt so much musically and personally, with the added advantage of meeting so many lovely souls along the way😉.
Beyond the masterclass, this trip gave me the chance to revisit precious memories and reminded me that human connection is everlasting, regardless of how far apart we may be. To everyone I had the joy of meeting with, thank you for the music, the conversations, and the memories. Wishing us all the very best until our paths cross again.❤️"

We brought the 35th International Kodály Seminar to a heartwarming close on Friday evening at the church of Szent Miklós Templomigazgatóság with an unforgettable choral concert, featuring a moving introduction and presentation by Péter Erdei. 🎶

Organized with the generous support of the Liszt Ferenc Zeneművészeti Egyetem / Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music and the Foundation for the Kodály Institute in Kecskemét, this specialized intensive masterclass brought together seven conductors and an international chamber choir for six hours of dedicated work each day. The inspiring results of this workshop were shared with our seminar participants and the music-loving community of Kecskemét.

We’ll be sharing the full recording of both the masterclass and the concert with you soon! In the meantime, enjoy this glimpse into a magical evening through the lens of Kata Gyenes’ photographs.

Beyond the Classroom: on Thursday afternoon, the seminarists even had time to discover the centuries-old history of the monastery building that houses the Institute, thanks to a guided tour by Ildikó Damásdi. This gave our peaceful space a whole new meaning. (Many thanks to Gyuri Dormán for the photos!)

Here are some wonderful photos from the early evening open-air performance by the Choir of the 35th International Kodály Seminar (conductor: Anna Fűri) on Thursday at "Kodály Pont". Thanks to Kata Gyenes and Hírös Agóra Kulturális és Ifjúsági Központ for the photos.

A huge THANK YOU to our team! 👏
As the 35th International Seminar comes to a close, we want to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who worked tirelessly for its success over the past two weeks. Thanks to you, our participants are leaving enriched with a wealth of new knowledge and wonderful memories!
From our fantastic teachers to the incredible, hard-working staff behind the scenes — our concierge, cleaners, support team, organizers, finance, library, book store and administration departments — you made all of this possible.
A small gesture of gratitude to all of our staff and faculty members for your amazing teamwork!🌹