Kodaly, Zoltan, << koh DY or koh DAH ee, ZAWL tahn >> (1882-1967), was a Hungarian composer, music historian, and educator. Along with his friend the Hungarian composer Bela Bartok, Kodaly promoted modern music and collected and studied the folk music of Hungary and its surrounding regions.
Kodaly composed extensively for almost 70 years. His compositional style, like that of Bartok, is rooted in Hungarian folk idioms. Kodaly’s music, however, is less intellectually complex than Bartok’s more advanced works.
Kodaly believed strongly in the expressive capabilities of the human voice, and his compositions are characterized by the beauty and inventiveness of their vocal lines. His best-known works are Psalmus hungaricus (1923) and Missa brevis (1945), both for chorus and orchestra; and the orchestral suite (1927) from his opera Hary Janos (1926). Kodaly’s method of music education was based on the idea that choral singing is the easiest and most rewarding way for most people to learn about music. Kodaly institutes have been established throughout the world. The International Kodaly Society, based in Budapest, was founded in 1975. Kodaly was born in Kecskemet, on Dec. 16, 1882. He died on March 6, 1967.
