December 16, 1882:
Zoltán Kodály is born in Kecskemét (in the building now serving as the railway station), Kingdom of Hungary, 80 km southeast of Budapest, second of three children born to Frigyes Kodály, a railroad station master and amateur violinist, and Paulina Jaloveczky, an accomplished singer and pianist, daughter of an innkeeper.
March 18, 1905:
Béla Bartók (23) meets Zoltán Kodály (22) for the first time at the home of Emma Gruber (the future Mrs. Kodály) in Budapest.
June 20, 1905:
Intermezzo for string trio by Zoltán Kodály (22) is performed for the first time, in Budapest.
October 22, 1906:
Summer Evening, for orchestra, by Zoltán Kodály (23) is performed for the first time, at a diploma concert of the Budapest Academy of Music. The work wins a scholarship for the composer.
December 19, 1906:
Béla Bartók (25) and Zoltán Kodály (23) publish Hungarian Folk Songs with piano accompaniment.
March 12, 1910:
Two Romanian Dances op.8a for piano by Béla Bartók (28) are performed for the first time, by the composer, in Paris. Also on the program, movements 2 and 3 of the Sonata for cello and piano op.4 by Zoltán Kodály (27) are performed for the first time, Béla Bartók (28) at the piano. Bartók’s Fourteen Bagatelles are also given their first public performance. It is a concert of all-Hungarian music unprecedented in the French capital. See 29 June 1908 and 17 March 1910.
March 17, 1910:
An evening devoted to the music of Zoltán Kodály (27) takes place in Budapest, including the String Quartet no.1 op.2, Piano Music (nine pieces) op.3 and a Sonata for cello and piano op.4 (first complete).
May 29, 1910:
String Quartet no.1 by Zoltán Kodály (27) is performed for the first time, in Zürich.
August 3, 1910:
Zoltán Kodály (27) marries Emma Sándor, a prize-winning composer, pianist, poet, and translator. She will translate the texts of many of Kodály’s vocal compositions into German.
November 27, 1911:
The New Hungarian Music Society (UMZE), founded by several Hungarian musicians including Béla Bartók (30) and Zoltán Kodály (28), gives an inaugural performance in the Royal Hall, Budapest. Within a year, the society will fail, largely due to public indifference.
September 14, 1917:
Incidental music to Móricz’s play Lark Song by Zoltán Kodály (34) is performed for the first time, in Budapest.
January 12, 1918:
Zoltán Kodály’s (35) orchestral work Old Hungarian Soldier’s Song is performed for the first time, in Vienna along with the premiere of Five Slovak Folksongs for male chorus and three of the Eight Hungarian Folksongs for voice and piano by Béla Bartók (36).
May 7, 1918:
New works by Zoltán Kodály (35) are performed for the first time, in Budapest: Belated Melodies op.6, a cycle for voice and piano to words of various poets, Duo op.7 for violin and cello, Sonata for Solo Cello op.8, and String Quartet no.2 op.10. See 16 April 1920.
February 14, 1919:
The Hungarian Council of Ministers reorganizes the Budapest Academy of Music as the National Academy of Music of Hungary. Ernö Dohnányi is appointed director, Zoltán Kodály (36) is deputy director. With the fall of the Republic of Councils seven months from now, these men will come under official scrutiny. See 25 June 1920.
April 8, 1920:
Serenade op.12 for two violins and viola by Zoltán Kodály (37) is performed for the first time, in Budapest.
April 16, 1920:
Sonata for Solo Cello by Zoltán Kodály (37) is performed by the Society for Private Performances, Vienna.
June 25, 1920:
After months of official investigation and hearings, Zoltán Kodály (37) is cleared of any charges of misconduct as deputy director of the National Academy of Music during the Republic of the Councils in Hungary. He is demoted to professor and given a leave of absence during the first term of the academic year 1920-1921.
August 26, 1920:
Zoltán Kodály (37) signs a publishing contract with Universal Edition, Vienna.
January 10, 1921:
Two Songs op.5 by Zoltán Kodály (38) to words of Berzsenyi and Ady, are performed for the first time, in Budapest.
November 19, 1923:
For the fiftieth anniversary of the union of Pest, Buda, and Obuda into Budapest, two works by the leading Hungarian composers are performed for the first time: Dance Suite for orchestra by Béla Bartók (42) and Psalmus Hungaricus op.13 for tenor, chorus, orchestra, and organ by Zoltán Kodály (40) to words of Kecskeméti Vég after the Psalms.
April 2, 1925:
Two choral works for high voices by Zoltán Kodály (42), The Straw Guy and See the Gypsy Munching Cheese, both to traditional texts, are performed for the first time, in Budapest.
May 28, 1925:
A criticism of Zoltán Kodály’s (42) brand of Hungarian art music is published in the German periodical Neues Pester Journal, written by Béla Diósy. The journal will refuse to print Kodály's reply.
June 14, 1925:
Refused publication by the Neues Pester Journal, Zoltán Kodály’s (42) reply to the article of 28 May is printed in the Budapest Journal where he defends his music and ideas.
October 16, 1926:
Háry János op.15, a singspiel by Zoltán Kodály (43) to words of Paulini and Harsányi, is performed for the first time, at the Hungarian Royal Opera House in Budapest.
March 14, 1927:
Dances of Marosszéki for piano by Zoltán Kodály (44) is performed for the first time, over the airwaves of Hungarian Radio. See 28 November 1930.
March 24, 1927:
A suite from Zoltán Kodály’s (44) singspiel Háry János, in a version for brass band, is performed for the first time, in Barcelona. See 15 December 1927.
August 22, 1927:
Ballet Music for orchestra by Zoltán Kodály (44) is performed for the first time, in Saxon Hall, Budapest.
December 15, 1927:
A suite from Zoltán Kodály’s singspiel Háry János, in the version for orchestra, is performed for the first time, in New York on the eve of the composer’s 45th birthday.
January 10, 1928:
Theatre Overture by Zoltán Kodály (45) is performed for the first time, in Budapest.
May 12, 1928:
Three works for female chorus by Zoltán Kodály (45) are performed for the first time, in Budapest: God’s Blacksmith, The Deaf Boatman, and Gypsy Lament .
April 3, 1930:
A revised version of the symphonic poem Summer Evening by Zoltán Kodály (47) is performed for the first time, in New York.
November 28, 1930:
Dances of Marosszék for orchestra by Zoltán Kodály (47), after the composer’s own piano work, is performed for the first time, in the Dresden Opera House. See 14 March 1927.
April 24, 1932:
The Transylvanian Spinning-room, a lyrical play by Zoltán Kodály (49) to a traditional story, is performed for the first time, in the Hungarian Royal Opera House, Budapest.
October 23, 1933:
New works by Hungary’s two leading composers are performed for the first time, in Budapest: Five Hungarian Folksongs, set for solo voice and orchestra by Béla Bartók (52), and Dances of Galánta for orchestra by Zoltán Kodály (50).
September 2, 1936:
Budavari Te Deum for four vocal soloists, chorus, orchestra, and organ by Zoltán Kodály (53), is performed for the first time, in the Coronation Church of Buda Castle, Budapest. It was composed for the 250th anniversary of the defeat of the Turks at Buda.
May 5, 1938:
A number of leading Hungarian artists and scientists publicly declare their opposition to the anti-Semitic legislation currently being written. Among them are Béla Bartók (57) and Zoltán Kodály (55).
November 23, 1939:
Variations on a Hungarian Folksong, the “Peacock” Variations for orchestra by Zoltán Kodály (56), is performed for the first time, in Amsterdam.
February 6, 1941:
Concerto for Orchestra by Zoltán Kodály (58), composed to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, is performed for the first time, in Chicago.
May 14, 1943:
Zoltán Kodály (60) is elected corresponding member of the Department of Philology and Aesthetics of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
May 7, 1944:
Organ Mass by Zoltán Kodály (61) is performed for the first time, in St. Stephen’s Basilica, Budapest.
February 11, 1945:
Missa brevis for chorus and organ by Zoltán Kodály (62) is performed for the first time, in Budapest. See 9 September 1948.
May 30, 1945:
Zoltán Kodály (62) is elected a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences.
October 28, 1946:
Zoltán Kodály (64) and his wife arrive in New York aboard SS Franconia for an eight city conducting tour of the United States.
March 15, 1948:
Czinka Panna, a singspiel by Zoltán Kodály (65) to words of Balázs, is performed for the first time, at the Hungarian State Opera in Budapest. The work wins the Kossuth Prize today.
September 9, 1948:
Missa brevis for vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra by Zoltán Kodály (65) is performed for the first time, in Worcester Cathedral conducted by the composer. See 11 February 1945.
April 4, 1951:
Kállai kettos for chorus and small orchestra by Zoltán Kodály (68) is performed for the first time, in Budapest.
November 23, 1952:
Song of Peace for children’s chorus by Zoltán Kodály (69) to words of Weöres, is performed for the first time.
December 18, 1955:
Hymn of Zrínyi, for baritone solo and chorus by Zoltán Kodály (73), is performed for the first time, in Budapest. The audience requires the entire work to be repeated.
September 4, 1956:
National Song by Zolán Kodály (73) to words of Petöfi is performed for the first time, in Budapest.
October 23, 1956:
Zoltán Kodály (73) departs Budapest for the country and will not return until January. He will miss the revolution.
January 10, 1957:
Two days after his return to Budapest from the country, Zoltán Kodály (74) appeals to the government not to disband the army men’s choir. Stopping in Moscow on their way back from China last year, the choir sided with the revolution. The choir will become a state institution for two years until the army agrees to reinstate it.
December 18, 1959:
Zoltán Kodály (77) marries his 19-year-old student, Sarolta Péczely.
May 1, 1960:
Oxford University confers an honorary degree on Zoltán Kodály (77).
August 16, 1961:
Symphony in C by Zoltán Kodály (78) is performed for the first time, in Lucerne.
December 2, 1962:
Zoltán Kodály (79) receives the Order of the Hungarian Peoples Republic, the nation’s highest state honor.
June 22, 1963:
Seven Pieces for orchestra by Zoltán Kodály (80) are performed for the first time, in Budapest.
May 31, 1964:
The Music Makers, an ode for chorus and orchestra by Zoltán Kodály (81) to words of O’Shaughnessy, is performed for the first time, in Merton College, Oxford.
July 7, 1966:
The University of Toronto confers an honorary degree on Zoltán Kodály (83).
February 17, 1967:
The Republic of Finland confers the Commander’s Order of the White Rose of Finland on Zoltán Kodály (84).
March 6, 1967:
Zoltán Kodály dies of a heart ailment in Budapest, Hungarian Peoples Republic, aged 84 years, two months, and 18 days.
March 11, 1967:
A funeral for Zoltán Kodály is attended by many thousands. His mortal remains are laid to rest in Farkasreti Cemetery in Budapest.