News
The first International Kodály Seminar was held in the summer of 1970 in Kecskemét, at the initiative of Sarolta Péczely, wife of Zoltán Kodály, with the aim of introducing music teachers from abroad to Zoltán Kodály’s concept of music education and its possible adaptations.
The then-director of the Kodály School, Mrs. Lajos Nemesszeghy, as well as Péter Erdei and Mihály Ittzés—who would later found the Kodály Institute—also participated in the organization.
The organization of the course, which at that time lasted one month, was taken over by the Kodály Institute in 1975. Today, the course traditionally lasts two weeks and serves as a sort of summer semester: the 60-hour intensive course is taught by the Institute’s faculty, though guest lecturers are also regularly invited.
This year, at the 35th anniversary International Kodály Seminar, workshops on solfège and music theory, choral conducting, and music pedagogy methodology were held in several groups, as well as joint choral singing. The event welcomed approximately 40 students from 25 countries, who were joined in the second week of the Seminar by participants in the Advanced Choral Conducting course led by Péter Erdei, a Liszt and Bartók–Pásztory Prize-winning conductor, Meritorious and Outstanding Artist of the Republic of Hungary, and honorary professor at the Liszt Academy of Music. Seven active students and 16 young singers, who formed a chamber choir during the course and assisted the conductors in their work. The Liszt Academy and the Foundation for the Kecskemét Kodály Institute announced a special scholarship for Hungarian students, so five scholarship recipients majoring in choral conducting from the Liszt Academy—Máté Almási, Péter Oravecz, Annabella Svajko, Barnabás Szilágyi, and Anna Török—along with Sarah Skerritt (Ireland) and Vivienne Tan (Singapore) participated in the international ensemble. The seven conductors presented their work at the closing concert on 31 July in the St Nicholas Church located next to the Institute’s monastery building. The concert was part of the musical programme of the Kodály Art Festival organized by the city of Kecskemét. The concert featured works by Schein, Brahms, Zoltán Kodály, Javier Busto, Ivan Hrusovsky, Arvo Pärt, János Vajda, Miklós Csemiczky, and György Orbán.
Participants in the Seminar, performing as the Seminar Choir under the direction of conductor Anna Fűri, took part in the opening of an archaeological and numismatic chamber exhibition, which opened on 30 July at the Institute under the title “The Past Beneath the Parquet—In the Footsteps of Medieval Kecskemét,” and showcases valuable artifacts from the archaeological excavations conducted during the renovation of the Kodály Institute. The exhibition was opened by Judit Rajk, director of the Institute, and András Kristóf Fazekas, the archaeologist leading the excavations and a staff member of the Katona József Museum.
The Seminar programme was complemented by a concert series featuring solo and chamber music performances by faculty and students of the Academy of Music: Renáta Darázs and Zsuzsanna Takáts, Gergely Kovács,Kitti Szovák, and Máté Dömötör.
More information and application details:
https://kodalyseminar.hu/35th-international-kodaly-seminar/call-for-chamber-choir-participants/
The Kodály Institute of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music is proud to announce a landmark event in its history: the 35th International Kodály Seminar between 20 and 31 July, 2026 in Kecskemét, Hungary.
A New Chapter Following a Historic Year
Last summer, the eyes of the music education world were on Kecskemét as we celebrated a monumental season of anniversaries. We marked the 50th Jubilee of the Kodály Institute’s opening (1975), the 50th Anniversary of the International Kodály Society, and the 150th Anniversary of our mother institution, the Liszt Academy of Music. It was a summer of grand reunions, hosting the 27th International Kodály Symposium and bringing together generations of musicians to honour our shared past.
Now, we invite you to come again to Hungary.
More information and application details:
https://kodalyseminar.hu/2026/02/22/35th-international-kodaly-seminar-20-31-july-2026/
An intensive 8-week online preparatory course between 16 March - 22 May 2026
For those who seek to apply for our MA in Kodály Music Pedagogy programme starting in September 2026.
This preparatory programme is offered for those who would like to further improve their skills and knowledge in the field of musicianship, piano and voice, focusing on the requirements of the MA entrance exam.
The number of students is limited.
Course Content:
The programme includes subjects that prepare students for the challenges of the entrance examination of the MA degree course:
- 1.5 hours class of Musicianship / week
- 1 hour class of Western Music History (practical summary) / week
- 2 occasions of individual consultation (45-min) with regards to the MA entrance examination focusing on piano and singing
(The 2 occasions can be done any time during the 8 weeks, the exact day and time will discussed individually.)
More information and application details:
https://kodaly.hu/study/intensive-preparatory-course-for-the-ma-entrance-examination-2026-127652
An intensive 8-week online preparatory course between 16 March - 22 May 2026
For those who seek to apply for our BA in General Music Studies programme starting in September 2026.
This new preparatory programme is offered for students who would like to further improve their skills and knowledge in the field of musicianship, music history, choral singing and piano, focusing on the requirements of the BA entrance exam.
The number of students is limited.
Course Content:
The programme includes subjects that prepare students for the challenges of the entrance exam of the BA degree course:
- 1.5 hours class of musicianship / week
- 1 hour class of Western Music History (practical summary) / week
- 2 occasions of individual consultation (45-min) with regards to the BA entrance examination focusing on piano and singing
(The 2 occasions can be done any time during the 8 weeks, the exact day and time will discussed individually.)
More information and application details:
https://kodaly.hu/study/intensive-preparatory-course-for-the-ba-entrance-examination-2026-127651
Dear Visitor,
As of today, all teaching materials, publications, studies, multimedia learning resources are freely accessible to everyone – with no registration or login required.
From now on:
You no longer need to register or log in to access any of our content.
All previously created user accounts and the personal data provided have been permanently deleted in accordance with data protection regulations.
We hope this change makes it even easier to access and benefit from our high-quality resources – quickly, simply, and completely free of charge.
Thank you for your continued interest!
Kodály Institute of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music
August 4-8, 2025, KECSKEMÉT – HUNGARY
The 27th International Kodály Symposium is a celebration of 50 years of the International Kodály Society which was founded in Kecskemét in Hungary in the same year when the Kodály Institute opened.
You can download the booklet by clicking on the image above.
Dear Colleagues and Musician Friends all around the world,
The International Kodály Seminar has invited hundreds of musicians from all over the world to Zoltán Kodály’s birthplace, Kecskemét since its beginnings in 1970, when Mrs Sarolta Kodály organised the first Seminar.
In 2025 we will be celebrating the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Kodály Institute, along with many other anniversaries.
The 34th International Kodály Seminar is going to be organized in light of this in a special way in the summer of 2025:
— starting on 28 July
— spiced with a Kodály Institute Alumni Reunion on the weekend of 2-3 August, and
— culminating and joining in the events of the 27th International Kodály Symposium organized between 4 and 8 August 2025.
The Seminar offers the usual activities in the first week: choral singing, musicianship training, choral conducting and methodology classes in early childhood, on primary and secondary level, and choir methodology. During the second week, the choral sessions (joined optionally by Symposium participants) and the musicianship classes continue in the mornings, while in the afternoons, participants will be able to attend the workshops/lectures of the Symposium.
The choral singing sessions will be special as participants of the Seminar, joined by the participants of the Symposium from 4 August, are going to prepare for the performance of Kodály’s Te Deum – conducted by Peter Erdei, the former founding director of the Institute – together with the Kecskemét Symphony Orchestra led by Huba Hollókői as part of the Kodály Music Festival on 8 August, 2025, the Closing Event of all events.
2025 is also an anniversary year, the 150th, for the Liszt Academy – our mother institution since 2005 – and to celebrate this, the Budavári Te Deum will also be performed in the Grand Hall of the Academy in Budapest on 7 August. (Transportation for participants will be provided.)
Spread the word! Encourage friends, students and colleagues to come and join us in celebrating, music making, strengthening professional relationships, making friendships and, in one word, creating memorable experiences!
