Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Zoltan Szekely fonds
General material designation
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
- Source of title proper: Title based on contents of the fonds.
Level of description
Fonds
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
Physical description area
Physical description
16.29m of textual records and other material.
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Biographical history
Zoltan Szekely was born in 1903 in Kocs, Hungary. As a young student at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Szekely was influenced by well known composers and musicians such as Zoltan Kodaly, Zeno Hubay and especially Bela Bartok, with whom he developed a lifelong friendship and professional relationship. On graduation, he launched a successful solo concert career, performing throughout Europe and particularly championing contemporary compositions. In 1926 he married "Mientje" Igminia Everts and they resided in the Netherlands, Germany, Monte Carlo and London, to facilitate his music career. They had one son.
Szekely was the first violinist of the Hungarian String Quartet from 1937 until they disbanded in 1972.During these years the Quartet performed throughout the world and achieved renown for their performances of Bartok and Beethoven. They moved from Europe to the United States in 1950, where they were Artists-in-Residence at colleges in California, Maine and Colorado, coaching young quartets.<p>In 1972 Szekely was invited by Tom Rolston to become artist-in-residence at The Banff Centre, where he remained until his death in 2001.
Further details can be found in the biography "Szekely and Bartok: The Story of a Friendship" by Claude Kenneson (1994).</p>
Custodial history
The bulk of the material had been removed from Szekely's suite in the 1990s and catalogued by Claude Kenneson. It was stored by the Library and then donated to The Banff Centre by Szekely's son in 2001. Some material from Szekely's suite was added, while other records were kept by the family.
The photographs were donated by Claude Kenneson in 2008, along with the documents in the Claude Kenneson research collection.
Scope and content
The fonds consists of correspondence, clippings, notebooks, photographs, sketches, scores, memoires and audio and video recordings reflecting Szekely's life and career as a concert violinist, string quartet member, lecturer and composer.
The fonds has been arranged into 8 series: 1. Correspondence, clippings and notebooks; 2. Photographs and sketches; 3. Scores 4. Books and bookmarks; 5. Lecture notes; 6. Bela Bartok memoir project; 7. Recordings of Szekely; 8. Rare or signed recordings.
Notes area
Physical condition
Other materials include 119 photographs and sketches; 16 audio reels; 5 audio cassettes, 5 long playing records, and 5 videocassettes.
Immediate source of acquisition
Arrangement
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
There are no restrictions on access.
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Associated materials
Accruals
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
- Szekely, Zoltan (Subject)