Kodály 143 Presented by Liszt Academy

The relationship between Zoltán Kodály and the Liszt Academy was close and defining, both for Kodály’s life and for the development of the institution. Kodály studied at the Liszt Academy, where Hans Koessler was his composition teacher. From 1907, for nearly five decades, he taught music theory, composition, and folk music at his alma mater. For a short time, Kodály also served as the Vice-President of the Academy, Chairman of its Board of Trustees, and Honorary President. Through the students he mentored and the followers of his method, the Kodály method became the foundation of Hungarian music education. In light of this, the Liszt Academy has honored Kodály’s birthday with a thematic concert every year since the reopening of the main building in 2013. The concert features the university’s students, reminding the audience that, alongside his many other contributions, Kodály was also an exceptional composer. This year, the program will include his early work Summer Evening (1906/1928), revised for Arturo Toscanini, the late The Music Makers (1963), and the Symphony, which he began in the 1930s but completed only in 1961.