“If one were to attempt to express the essence of this education in one word, it could only be singing”

Zoltán Kodály was a composer, pioneering ethno-musicologist, groundbreaking educator and music critic. Along with Béla Bartók, he is among the two major figures in twentieth century Hungarian music. He enjoyed a status in his native land that is perhaps unrivaled by any other figure anywhere else in the world. Kodály was born in Kecskemét, Hungary, on December 16, 1882. Kodály’s fame as a music educator is almost as high as his reputation as a composer. He was very interested in the problems of music education, and wrote a good deal of educational music for schools, as well as books on the subject. His work in this field had a profound effect on musical education both inside and outside his home country. Although he is sometimes acknowledged as the creator of the 'Kodály Method', this is something of a misnomer as Kodály did not actually devise a comprehensive method. Instead, he laid down a set of principles for music education.