Short Biography

Zoltán Kodály – along with Béla Bartók – is one of the two major figures in Hungarian music in the twentieth century. Composer, pioneering ethnomusicologist, groundbreaking educationalist and critic, Kodály enjoyed a status in his native land that is perhaps unrivalled by any other figure anywhere else in the world.

Selected Chronology

A short selection of events and achievements spanning 85 years of Kodály's life.

Compositions

Zoltán Kodály's earliest compositions date from the 1890s and his last were composed in 1966. During this long and productive life he created hundreds of compositions in a variety of media and genres. His style was profoundly influenced by his collecting and study of Hungarian folk music.

Like to know more?

See a list of Kodály's works (from the side menu)

You can access Kodály's published works through Universal Editions, Boosey & Hawkes and Editio Musica Budapest
Recordings available through Amazon

Bibliography

A selected bibliography of works by and about Kodály contains further information about his work and the adaptation of the Hungarian approach to music education:

World Wide Legacy

Institutions

Today many institutions in Hungary and abroad are working with the Kodály concept. However, two institutions are expressly devoted to fostering the legacy of Zoltán Kodály.

Organisations

Around the world, a number of organisations support the study of Kodály's music and his concept of music education. Information about them is available through our weblinks

Summary - Kodaly's Life and Work