The decision was made with the aim of naming the centre after a personality who had connections to the city but was also known internationally, said mayor Zsolt Páva.
Kodály first came to Pécs as a guest of the city in 1945. He stayed for several weeks, outlining his ideas on music education that were to make him famous around the world. Kodály also gave the first public performance of his choral piece Missa Brevis in the Pécs cathedral.
Kodály?s widow, Sarolta Péczeli, has already given her consent for the concert hall to be named after her late husband. The Pécs local council will make a final decision on the matter on Thursday.
The cornerstone of the concert hall was laid a little more than a year ago. When completed, it will provide a multi-functional space for up to a thousand people, making it the largest such venue in the region.
The Pannon Philharmonic will inaugurate their new home with a concert featuring the violinist Maxim Vengerov and the Kossuth Prize-winning Hungarian pianist Dezső Ránki on December 9.
Source: Hungarian News Agency (MTI)
