André Hajdu (born 5 March 1932 in Hungary) is an Israeli composer

Composer

A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...

 and ethnomusicologist.

Biography

Hajdu studied at Franz Liszt Academy of Music

Franz Liszt Academy of Music

The Franz Liszt Academy of Music is a concert hall and music conservatory in Budapest, Hungary, founded on November 14, 1875...

 in Budapest with Endre Szervánszky

Endre Szervánszky

Endre Szervánszky was a Hungarian composer.-Biography:...

 and Ferenc Szabo (composition), Erno Szégedi (piano), and Zoltán Kodály

Zoltán Kodály

Zoltán Kodály was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is best known internationally as the creator of the Kodály Method.-Life:Born in Kecskemét, Kodály learned to play the violin as a child....

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

After the failed uprising in 1956, Hajdu escaped to Paris and continued his studies at the Conservatoire with Darius Milhaud

Darius Milhaud

Darius Milhaud was a French composer and teacher. He was a member of Les Six—also known as The Group of Six—and one of the most prolific composers of the 20th century. His compositions are influenced by jazz and make use of polytonality...

 (composition) and Olivier Messiaen

Olivier Messiaen

Olivier Messiaen was a French composer, organist and ornithologist, one of the major composers of the 20th century. His music is rhythmically complex ; harmonically and melodically it is based on modes of limited transposition, which he abstracted from his early compositions and improvisations...

 (philosophy of music) and obtained the 1st prize in the discipline.

Since 1966 he has been living in Jerusalem. He taught at the Tel Aviv Music Academy

Tel Aviv University

Tel Aviv University is a public university located in Ramat Aviv, Tel Aviv, Israel. With nearly 30,000 students, TAU is Israel's largest university.-History:...

 from 1966 to 1991 and at Bar-Ilan University

Bar-Ilan University

Bar-Ilan University is a university in Ramat Gan of the Tel Aviv District, Israel.Established in 1955, Bar Ilan is now Israel's second-largest academic institution. It has nearly 26,800 students and 1,350 faculty members...

 since 1970. He served as chairman in the Music Department there and founded a composition department.

He has also studied Jewish Klezmer and Hassidic repertories and published several articles on this subject. As a composer he was and is 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 majority 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. All this is connected with the practice of creative teaching in the School for Excellence in Jerusalem, an experimental school for a new approach to music teaching.

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 / improvisers, including Gil Shohat, Yonatan Razel, Yoni Rechter

Yoni Rechter

Yoni Rechter is an Israeli musician, composer, pianist, arranger and singer.-Biography:Yonatan Rechter was born in Tel Aviv, Israel. He was the son of Israeli architect Ya'akov Rechter and stepson of Israeli actress Hanna Meron. He attended Tichon Hadash high school...

 and Shem Tov Levi .

Awards

• In 1955, Hajdu won the first prize with his Gypsy Cantata at the competition of the World Festival of Youth in Warsaw.
• In 1997, he was awarded the Israel Prize
  Israel Prize
  The Israel Prize is an award handed out by the State of Israel and is largely regarded as the state's highest honor. It is presented annually, on Israeli Independence Day, in a state ceremony in Jerusalem, in the presence of the President, the Prime Minister, the Knesset chairperson, and the...
  
  , for music.

Selected works

Scenic

• Ludus Paschalis, a medieval passover play (1970)
• The Story of Jonas, Opera for children's choir (1985–1987)
• Koheleth (Ecclesiaste), a biblical recitation with 4 celli

Orchestral

• Petit enfer (1959)
• The Unbearable Intensity of Youth (1976)
• Bashful Serenades for clarinet and orchestra (1979)
• On Light and Depth (1983–1984)
• Concerto for an Ending Century for piano and orchestra (1990)
• Continuum for 15 players and piano (1995)

Strings

• Truath Melech (Rhapsody on Jewish Themes) for clarinet and string orchestra (1974)
• The False Prophet for narrator and string orchestra (1977)
• Divertimento (1988)
• Overture in Form of a Kite (1985)

Chamber

• 5 Sketches in Sentimental Mood for piano quartet (1976)
• Instants suspendus for violin, viola or cello solo (1978)
• Sonatine à la française (Sonatina in French Style) for flute and cello (1990)
• Variations for string quartet (1997)
• Birth of a Niggun for flute, clarinet and piano (1998)
• Mishna-Variations for string quartet (1998)
• Music for Three for violin, cello and piano (1999)

Piano

• Plasmas (1957)
• Diary from Sidi-Bou Said (1960)
• Journey around My Piano (1963)
• Noir sur blanc (1988)
• Metamorphoses (1997)
• 5 Inventions for piano 4-hands (1983)

Songs

• The Floating Tower (Mishnayoth) (1972–1973)
• Bestiary (Ted Hughes) (1993)
• Merry Feet (1998)
• Nursery Songs

Vocal-orchestral

• Cycles of Life, Cantata (1985)
• Dreams of Spain (1991); about the expulsion of the Jews from Spain
• Job and His Comforters, Biblical and Historical Oratorio (1995)

Choral

• House of Shaul for mixed chorus (1974)
• The Question of the Sons (1974)
• Bitzinioth Nov (Song of the Sea) (1973)
• Mishnayoth (1972–1973)
• Proverbs of Solomon for choir and percussion (1978)

Discography

• On Light and Depth. I.M.I. (Israel)
• Ecclesiaste R.C.A. Victor (France)
• Dreams of Spain - Hungaroton (Budapest)
• Concerto for an ending century - Hungaroton (Budapest)
• Truath Melech. Plane (Germany)

These compositions were widely played in Israel and abroad by orchestras and ensembles such as

• Israel Philharmonic
• Jerusalem Radio
• Haifa Symphony
• Beer-Sheba Sinfonietta
• München Philharmonic
• Philadelphia Symphony
• Leningrad Symphony
• Ensemble 2e2m
• Sofia Philharmonic Choir and Orchestra

External links

• Andre Hajdu in Bar-Ilan University site
• Andre Hajdu at the Israel Composers' League

See also

• List of Israel Prize recipients