Andre Hajdu Explained

André Hajdu
Native Name:אנדרה היידו
Birth Date:5 March 1932
Birth Place: Hungary
Death Place: Israel
Occupation:Composer, Ethnomusicologist

André Hajdu (Hungarian: Hajdú András; Hebrew: אנדרה היידו; 5 March 1932 – 1 August 2016) was a Hungarian-born Israeli composer and ethnomusicologist.

Biography

Hajdu studied at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest with Endre Szervánszky and Ferenc Szabó (composition), Erno Szégedi (piano), and Zoltán Kodály (ethnomusicology). As a Kodály disciple, he was involved for two years in research about Gypsy musical culture and published several articles on this subject.[1]

After the Hungarian Revolution of 1956, Hajdu escaped to Paris and continued his studies at the Paris Conservatoire with Darius Milhaud (composition) and Olivier Messiaen (philosophy of music), obtaining the 1st prize in the discipline.[2] Among his class mates were Gilbert Amy, William Bolcom, Philip Corner and Paul Méfano. In Paris he met a variety of stimulating people from the playwright Samuel Beckett to Prof. Israel Adler of the Hebrew University, who brought him on his first visit to Israel in 1966.

Hajdu took up residence in Jerusalem in 1966. He taught at the Tel Aviv Music Academy from 1966 to 1991 and at Bar-Ilan University since 1970. He served as chairman in the Music Department there and founded a composition department. His notable students have included Aharon Razel, Gil Shohat, Yonatan Razel, Yoni Rechter, Matti Kovler and Matan Porat.

Hajdu composed many pedagogical works, particularly for piano and theory through a creative approach (involving the player to the process of composing) e.g. Milky Way, Art of Piano-playing, Book of Challenges, Concerto for 10 young pianists. All this is connected with the practice of creative teaching in the Israel Arts & Science Academy in Jerusalem, an experimental school for a new approach to music teaching. He also studied Jewish Klezmer and Hassidic repertories and published several articles on this subject. He was deeply involved in Jewish topics, not only on the usual folkloristic or liturgical levels, but also confronted more abstract subjects of Jewish thought (Oral Law, philosophical books of the Bible) as well as Jewish History. In 2005 he received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of Jerusalem Hebrew University. Hajdu died in Jerusalem at age 84.[3]

Awards

Selected works

For the Stage
Orchestral
Strings
Chamber
Piano
Songs
Vocal-orchestral
Choral

Discography

See also

Sources

External links

See also

Notes and References

  1. Schleifer 2001.
  2. Schleifer 2001
  3. News: Acclaimed Israeli composer and educator André Hajdu dies at age 84 . Jerusalem Post . 2016-08-03 . 2016-08-03.
  4. Web site: Israel Prize Official Site - Recipients in 1997 . he.