Andre Hajdu, Hungarian-born Israeli composer and educator, Died at 84

  Music, Writer

Andre Hajdu was born on March 5, 1932, in Hungary, and died on August 1, 2016.

He was a Hungarian-born Israeli composer and ethnomusicologist.

Andre studied at Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest with Endre Szervánszky and Ferenc Szabó (composition), Erno Szégedi (piano), and Zoltán Kodály (ethnomusicology)

Whilst he was a Kodály disciple, Hajdu was involved for two years in research about Gypsy musical culture and published several articles on this subject.

When the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 was over, 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.

He shared classes with Gilbert Amy, William Bolcom, Philip Corner and Paul Mefano, to name just a few.

During his time in Paris, Andre met a variety of stimulating people from the playwright Samuel Beckett to Prof.

After that, the Israel Adler of the Hebrew University, who brought him on his first visit to Israel in 1966.

From 1966, Andre has been living in Jerusalem.

Andre Hajdu was a teacher 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.

Then he studied Jewish Klezmer and Hassidic repertories and published several articles on this subject.

He was a composer and 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.

A large selection of works are dedicated to music-teaching, especially 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.

Which was all connected with the practice of creative teaching in the School for Excellence in Jerusalem, an experimental school for a new approach to music teaching.

Spending many years as an educator, Hajdu, through his devotion to teaching, has nurtured some of the leading talents of Israeli musicians; among his students are many prominent composers, including Gil Shohat, Yonatan Razel, Yoni Rechter, Matti Kovler and Matan Porat.

Andre Hajdu passed away at 84 years old.