National Youth Choir of Hungary

National Youth Choir of Hungary: community, quality, life-long memories

As part of commemorating  the great composer Zoltán Kodály, the National Youth Choir of Hungary was founded in 2018 by the Ministry of Human Resources at the Kodály Institute of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music.

This unique, 62 strong ensemble represented the Hungarian population of the whole Carpathian basin.

Main goal of the choir is to demonstrate the strength of human fellowship created through the Kodály system of musical education as well as showcase the values of contemporary choral art of Hungary.

Members of the choir come from professional backgrounds of a very colourful nature, there are students of music, architecture, chemistry, psychology, graphic design, information technology, linguistics, etc. among them. Some members have already earned their degrees and took jobs in their respective profession.

Programme of the National Youth Choir 2018 comprised of a one week intensive rehearsal period followed by a series of five concert in three countries, ending in Kecskemét, Hungary, seat of the Kodály Institute.

In the summer of 2019 – although with a slightly reduced membership – the choir will convene to fulfill two very important engagements. In July they will give a concert at the 30th International Kodály Seminar and Arts Festival in Kecskemét.

In August they will perform at the 34th Annual Convention of the Association of British Choral Directors in Birmingham. Before departing to Britain however, they will render their programme to the Budapest audiences at the Pesti Vigadó.

Professional management: commitment for excellence

Péter Erdei

Péter Erdei is an honorary professor of the Liszt Academy of Music, Artist of Merit, holder of the Liszt and Bartók-Pásztory Prize for performing arts in Hungary as a conductor, and a renowned and determinant figure of international choral life. He is the founding director of the Kodály Institute, Kecskemét, and was the director for over thirty years. During his rich career he conducted the Debrecen Kodály Choir, the Hungarian Radio Choir, the Kecskemét Pedagogue Choir and currently the National Youth Choir of Hungary. In 2010, he founded the New Liszt Ferenc Chamber Choir to renew the traditions of the earlier, homonymous choir. He remains active in his retirement, conducting the Kecskemét Choral Society which he founded.

László Norbert Nemes

László Norbert Nemes is a professor of the Liszt Academy of Music, holder of the Bartók-Pásztory Prize for performing arts in Hungary as a conductor. He became the director of the Kodály Institute of the Liszt Academy of Music, Kecskemét in 2008. Between 1997 and 2009 he worked as the Associate Conductor of the Hungarian Radio Children’s Choir. Since 2014, the New Liszt Ferenc Chamber Choir  has been under his direction. In 2017 he received the civilian Golden Cross of Merit of the Republic of Hungary for his artistic work. As the director of the Kodály Institute he is a travelling ambassador of Hungarian music education, and holds very popular courses, lectures and workshops all around the world.