Katherine Hickey

Experienced music educator Katherine Hickey earned degrees in piano performance from California State Universities, including a year at the Liszt Academy of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree in Music Education from University of Southern California. She has presented at local, state, national and international conferences, courses and symposia on the topics of Kodály Approach, music literacy, choral music, and elementary music education over the last four decades. She presented at IKS Symposia in Poland, Hungary, Canada and Scotland and Los Angeles.

Dr. Hickey’s research activity is centered on Jenő Ádám and his role in the Kodály approach. A transcription of twenty hours of Ádám’s oral history of 20th century musical life in Hungary and Europe, and the development of the Kodály approach is being prepared in Hungarian and English for publication. The audio recordings were recorded in Santa Barbara, CA at the home of Dr. Ernő and Katinka Dániel, in the 1960-70s.

Dr. Hickey is currently Professor of Music at the Conservatory of Music, School of Performing Arts, University of Redlands in California. She has served as Past President (2000-06) and Treasurer (2011-2018) of the Organization of America Kodály Educators (OAKE), as well as Division and local leadership positions. Dr. Hickey co-directs the biennial Los Angeles International Liszt Competition for Piano and Voice with Dr. Éva Polgár. A third-generation American-Hungarian, she grew up in the rich cultural life of the Hungarian Reformed Church and Hungarian community in Los Angeles, CA.

• B.A., California State University, Los Angeles

• M.A., California State University, Long Beach 

• D.M.A., University of Southern California

• Professor of Music, University of Redlands Conservatory of Music, School of Performing Arts
• Director, The Kodály Center at the University of Redlands
• Co-Director, Los Angeles International Liszt Competition for Piano and Voice

• Music Literacy
• Sightsinging/Ear Training
• Elementary Music Education
• Choral Music Education
• Kodály/Jeno Ádám’s Music Education Approach

Presentations

• National and international presentations on music, music education topics

• August 2013: Kecskemet, Hungary, International Kodaly Society Symposium; “The Contributions of Jeno Ádám in the Kodály Approach;

• Sept. 2010: Redlands, CA, AOSA, "Dancing Down The Alley To Music Literacy”

• August, 2009: Katowice, Poland; International Kodaly Society Symposium; “The Legacy of Jenö Ádám”

• March, 2009: Washington, DC; Organization of American Kodaly Educators; Teaching Greek Modes: Process and Literature

• 2005: Beijing, China; International Symposium; Discovery Learning in the Kodály Approach