Hajdu studied at the
Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest with
Endre Szervánszky and
Ferenc Szabó (composition), Erno Szégedi (piano), and
Zoltán Kodály (ethnomusicology). As a Kodály disciple, he was involved for two years in research about Gypsy musical culture and published several articles on this subject. After the
Hungarian Revolution of 1956, Hajdu escaped to Paris and continued his studies at the
Paris Conservatoire with
Darius Milhaud (composition) and
Olivier Messiaen (philosophy of music), obtaining the 1st prize in the discipline. Among his class mates were
Gilbert Amy,
William Bolcom,
Philip Corner and
Paul Méfano. In Paris he met a variety of stimulating people from the playwright
Samuel Beckett to Prof.
Israel Adler of the
Hebrew University, who brought him on his first visit to Israel in 1966. in Jerusalem, in 2009 Hajdu took up residence in Jerusalem in 1966. He taught at the
Tel Aviv Music Academy from 1966 to 1991 and at
Bar-Ilan University since 1970. He served as chairman in the Music Department there and founded a composition department. His notable students have included
Aharon Razel,
Gil Shohat,
Yonatan Razel,
Yoni Rechter,
Matti Kovler and Matan Porat. Hajdu composed many pedagogical works, particularly for piano and theory through a creative approach (involving the player to the process of composing) e.g. Milky Way, Art of Piano-playing, Book of Challenges, Concerto for 10 young pianists. All this is connected with the practice of creative teaching in the
Israel Arts & Science Academy in Jerusalem, an experimental school for a new approach to music teaching. He also studied Jewish Klezmer and Hassidic repertories and published several articles on this subject. He was deeply involved in Jewish topics, not only on the usual folkloristic or liturgical levels, but also confronted more abstract subjects of Jewish thought (Oral Law, philosophical books of the Bible) as well as Jewish History. In 2005 he received the title of Doctor Honoris Causa of Jerusalem Hebrew University. Hajdu died in Jerusalem at age 84. ==Awards==