IKFA Award Presentation 2025
INTERNATIONAL KATALIN FORRAI AWARD
COMMITTEE MEMBERS 2025
Mary Stouffer – Chairperson (Can)
Gail Godfrey – Secretary (Aust)
Kelly Foster-Griffin – Treasurer (USA)
Helga Dietrich – Member at Large (Hun)
Under the auspices of the International Kodály Society
The 7th Presentation of The International Katalin Forrai Award took place on August 8th, 2025 during the International Kodály Symposium in Kecskemét, Hungary.
This Award is presented biannually to individuals who have been recognized as outstanding in their teaching of music in early childhood, following the philosophy and principles of the work of Katalin Forrai. Starting in 2013, the Award has been presented to 9 individuals, representing the following countries: Japan, France, the United States, Hungary, Canada, Australia, Finland and Poland, demonstrating the committee’s mandate of celebrating the contributions that Katalin Forrai made to Early Childhood Music Education in Hungary and around the world.
Three well-deserving individuals were the recipients of this year’s award; Betsy McLaughlin Moll from the United States, Dr. James Cuskelly from Australia and Zsuzsanna Tóth Hegedűsné from Hungary.
Betsy first met Katalin Forrai during her studies with Professor Erzsébet Szőnyi in Hungary, from October 1967 – June 1969. She returned to the United States where she dedicated her career to successfully adapting the Kodály philosophy and pedagogy in her home country, teaching kindergarten and elementary children, and later she became a Professor of Music Education. She taught for 30 years at Duquesne University and later taught in Kodály programs in several universities. In addition, she organized many summer school courses, inviting Kati as a guest lecturer. They maintained a close professional and personal relationship throughout the years. Betsy also spent many years organizing Katalin Forrai’s bequest, her intellectual legacy, including documents, books, articles, photos, outlines, videos, and correspondences which are now housed in the Kodály Institute Archives, a unique research base and valuable resource for present and future teachers.
Betsy Moll with children in the kindergarten.
The Award was presented in absentia by Dr. Jerry Jaccard, President of IKS.
James met Katalin Forrai on two different occasions when she visited Australia, observing her teach
young children and then on a separate occasion, having her observe him teach. Her influence on his teaching and understanding of young children stayed with him throughout his teaching career, as he continues in his leadership role in teaching the Kodály philosophy and methods to all levels of education, including the special time of the early years, inspiring many educators in Australia and abroad.
Dr. James Cuskelly with children in the kindergarten.
The Award was presented by Gilbert de Greeve.
Zsuzsanna is our first IKFA recipient who remembers Katalin Forrai as her nursery school music teacher in the famous singing kindergarten on Csobánc St., Budapest. Now she teaches future preschool and early childhood educators at the Faculty of Primary and Pre-School Education at Eötvös Loránd University in Budapest. For 30 years, she has been working in the field of music and early childhood, following the principles of Katalin Forrai. Her doctoral thesis is based on the documents from the legacy of Katalin Forrai and the research she has been studying.
Zsuzsanna Tóth Hegedűsné showing her awards from IKFA Committee: the Certificate and Owl in the box
The Award was presented by Dr. Jerry Jaccard, President of the IKS.
As part of the celebrations of the IKS’s 50th anniversary, past recipients who were attending the ceremony, were invited to briefly speak about the influence Katalin Forrai had on their lives and careers. Five past recipients were present: Dr. ILona Gróh Gállné, (Hungary), Gail Godfrey (Australia), Dominika Lenska, (Poland), Ewa Krzatala, (Canada) and Anne Lindeberg-Piiroinen, (Finland). This was an incredible showing of support from so many different countries. Those who wanted to speak during the ceremony had similar messages – Katalin Forrai was an inspirational teacher whose warm personality endeared her to everyone. Her teaching brought such depth to the field of music in early childhood and each individual shared what they learned from Kati, whether it was personally studying with her or studying with one of her students and examining her textbook “Music in Preschool”. Everyone had a profound shift in their own teaching as they integrated her ideas and presented music “as an art form” to young children.
The ceremony ended with Dr. James Cuskelly leading us in learning and singing the refrain in 3 parts, from the hymn “All I Ask of You” from the Monks of the Weston Priory in Vermont, U.S. “All I ask of you is forever to remember Me, as loving you.” He chose this piece to signify the love we have for the children in our classes, and also in remembrance of Mary Place, the chairman of the IKFA Committee and the warmth and generosity we all shared in knowing Katalin Forrai.
Gail Godfrey, past recipient and IKFA committee member; Anne Lindeberg-Piiroinen, past recipient; Helga Dietrich, IKFA committee member; Mary Stouffer, IKFA Chairperson; Kati Vikár, Kati Forrai’s daughter; Zsuzsanna Tóth Hegedűsné, present recipient; Ewa Krzatala, past recipient.
We look forward to meeting everyone again at the IKS Symposium in Cork, Ireland in 2027.
