Change of leadership at the Kodály Institute of the Liszt Academy

“I am pleased to announce that the application process for the position of director at the Kodály Institute of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music has been successfully completed, as a result of which, Judit Rajk, associate professor will follow Dr. László Norbert Nemes. Judit Rajk will start her office on September 1st, 2023.

We would like to thank director László Nemes for more than 20 years of high-quality and extremely successful work as a teacher and 15 years as a director. Under his management, the Institute's international reputation and network of contacts continued to strengthen. The development of new forms of training, a six-year research aimed at developing new teaching models, the completion of a wonderful documentary film and many new publications are the hallmarks of his activities. In addition, as the professional leader of two high-profile international projects (Kodály HUB, PRESTO), he gained lasting merit in the field of the 21st century adaptation of the Kodály concept. The innovative digital developments of the Institute are also linked to his name. As the dreamer and developer of the International Kodály Certificate Program (IKC), he opened new perspectives in the training of the next generation of Kodály educators.

From September 2023, László Norbert Nemes will be co-artistic director of the organisation Vocaal Talent Nederland, and the Dutch national youth choirs. In addition to his artistic activities, he will continue his teaching activities as lecturer at the Royal Academy of Music in The Hague (Koninklijk Conservatorium Den Haag), but he does not sever his professional relationship with the Kodály Institute of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music.

Judit Rajk is unanimously supported by the faculty of the Kodály Institute and the Senate of the University for the position of director.

Dr László Norbert Nemes and Judit Rajk

Judit Rajk is an internationally acclaimed singer, an excellent and respected teacher at the Kodály Institute, and habilitated professor at the Church Music Department of the Liszt Academy. She is an Artisjus Award-winning performer of 20th-century and contemporary vocal literature, an outstanding and internationally acclaimed interpreter of Zoltán Kodály’s vocal art. She has held workshops and masterclasses on the vocal aspects of the Kodály concept in many countries around the world, and as a performer she contributed to the high-level international promotion of the 20th century and contemporary Hungarian vocal repertoire. Her colleagues and fellow artists unanimously believe that his work as a university teacher - similar to her experience as a performer – is characterized by high-quality musical preparation, versatility, and a unique and creative pedagogical approach.

On behalf of the management of the Liszt Academy, I wish the new director of the Institute and her colleagues every success in their future work.

Budapest, July 19, 2023

Dr. Andrea Vigh
President”