A
former Franciscan monastery, erected in 1736, in the center
of town of Kecskemét was rebuilt from 1973 to 1975 to house
the Zoltán Kodály Pedagogical Institute of Music.
The reconstruction was designed by architect József
Kerényi.
The original construction, according to the records of the
Historia Domus of the Franciscan Order, was built in several
phases. First, a courtyard wing was built from 1700 to 1702.
The courtyard wing with the refectory (today's concert and
lecturing hall) and the street front were built in 1722 and
1724. The remains of the medieval loop-holed tower became
a part of the cloister probably in this phase. The time of
building is dated as 1736 on the memorial tablet built into
the wall at the landing of the stairs.
Because of the strict poverty vow of mendicant friars, no
ornaments or works of art characteristic of the Baroque style
could be found in the cloister. In spite of this, the human
scale of space, the white-washed walls and the gently bending
arches present a solemn atmosphere.
Today, a small exhibition of Kodály's life and work;
fine furniture, designed by Gábor Mezei; and
artistic productions make the aesthetic appearance of the
interior complete and valuable. Among the works of art decorating
the Institute special mention should be made of the bust of Kodály by Miklós Borsos at
the main gate, and two works inspired by the composer's Psalmus
Hungaricus: a wall-hanging by Ilona Fürtös
and drawings by János Kass.
The new building erected in the rear courtyard in the early
1980's houses offices, a library
and an audio-visual studio.
The decree establishing the Zoltán Kodály Pedagogical Institute
of Music was declared on 15th June, 1973. The Institute began
its public operation in the summer of 1975 after a long and
thorough preparation. Its first undertaking was the 3rd Kodály
Seminar for Hungarian music teachers.
In the founding decree the main aims of the Institute were
stated, as follows:
a) to reveal the theoretical and practical experiences
necessary for the development of music education: to work
out suggestions in relation to the practical activities of
educational institutions;
b) to organise the dissemination of the methods of Hungarian
music education abroad;
c) to provide post-graduate training for foreign music pedagogues
in the field of Hungarian music pedagogy and methodology.
In order to realise its aims the Institute should organise
academic conferences, meetings and other events both in Hungary
and abroad to serve the aim of regular exchange of experiences.
Based on the afore-mentioned aims the Institute began its activities
and today offers training
programs.
Since the first group of students in the 1975-76 academic year
there have been students from 44 different countries. The majority
of these students have come from USA, Australia, Japan, Ireland,
Great Britain and Canada. The success of the course and the
increasing interest in it is proved by the fact that many of
the students extend their stay at the Institute to a second
or a third year.
