Biography & other information
Stephen Erdely
MIT Professor of Music, 1973-1991
Ethnomusicologist, concert violinist
Stephen Erdely (1921-2017) was Professor Emeritus of Music at MIT, actively teaching from 1973-1991. Among his teachers at the Franz Liszt Music Academy in Budapest were Zoltan Kodaly and Leo Weiner. From 1951-1966 he played in Cleveland Orchestra under conductor George Szell. He was among the first generation of scholars who defined the discipline of ethnomusicology. In 1973 he joined the music faculty at MIT, teaching courses in ethnomusicology, Western classical music, theory, and musicianship. A distinguished violinist, he performed for many years with his wife, concert pianist Beatrice Erdely (1922-2012).