Zoltán Szokolai je rođen 1967. godine u Novom Sadu. Osnovnu i srednju muzičku školu završio je 1986. godine u muzičkoj školi „Isidor Bajić“ u rodnom gradu. 1991. godine polaže ispit za učitelja harmonike na Pedagoškom zavodu Vojvodine u Novom Sadu. Godine 2012. diplomirao je muziku i harmoniku na Bratislavskom konzervatorijumu. Osam godina je radio kao profesor harmonike u Jugoslaviji, prvo u Muzičkoj školi u Senti, a zatim u Novom Knezevcu. U Mađarsku se preselio 1994. godine, gdje je pokrenuo odsjek harmonike u Muzičkoj školi Lukin László u Erdu, gdje i danas predaje. Od 1996. je profesor harmonike u Umjetničkoj školi Teleki – Wattay u Pomazu, a od 2017. u Weiner Leó muzičkoj osnovnoj i srednjoj školi u Budapest. Sedam godina je bio član harmonikaškog sastava „Sonja Marinković“ u AKUDUNS-u, Novi Sad. Dirigent orkestra u to vrijeme bila je Milana Baračkov Malenica. U svom pedagoškom radu prvenstveno primjenjuje principe metodike harmonike koju su razvili ona i njena majka Margita Baračkov. Važno mu je da svoje obrazovanje harmonike u Mađarskoj podigne na sve viši profesionalni nivo. Pohađao je takmičenja i majstorske kurseve harmonike u mnogim evropskim zemljama, gdje je razvio lične kontakte i sticao iskustvo kulture i nastavnih navika drugih zemalja. Zahvaljujući tome, uspostavljena je veza između Umjetničke škole Teleki-Wattay u Pomazu i Muzičke škole „Josip Slavenski“ u Novom Sadu, koja uspješno funkcioniše već 25 godina. Sa svojim učenicima je redovan učesnik domaćih i međunarodnih takmičenja harmonikaša. Tokom godina svirao je u nekoliko bendova. Na primer, trinaest godina je bio član tango ansambla, kvarteta koji je izveo komade mađarskog savremenog kompozitora, klezmer ansambla i etno folklornog ansambla. Učestvuje u mnogim pozorišnim predstavama kao muzičar u Budimpešti i širom zemlje.
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Zoltán Szokolai was born in 1967 in Novi Sad. He completed both primary and secondary music school in 1986 at the „Isidor Bajić“ Music School in his hometown. In 1991, he passed the accordion teacher’s exam at the Pedagogical Institute of Vojvodina in Novi Sad. In 2012, he graduated in music and accordion from the Bratislava Conservatory.
He worked for eight years as an accordion teacher in Yugoslavia, first at the Music School in Senta, then in Novi Kneževac. In 1994, he moved to Hungary, where he founded the accordion department at the Lukin László Music School in Érd, where he still teaches today. Since 1996, he has been an accordion teacher at the Teleki-Wattay Arts School in Pomáz, and since 2017 also at the Weiner Leó Primary and Secondary School of Music in Budapest.
He was a member of the accordion ensemble „Sonja Marinković“ within AKUDUNS in Novi Sad for seven years. The conductor of the orchestra at that time was Milana Baračkov Malenica. In his teaching, he primarily applies the accordion teaching methodology developed by her and her mother, Margita Baračkov.
It is important to him to continuously raise the professional standard of accordion education in Hungary. He has attended accordion competitions and masterclasses in many European countries, where he developed personal connections and gained insight into the musical cultures and teaching practices of other nations.
Thanks to these efforts, a partnership was established between the Teleki-Wattay Arts School in Pomáz and the „Josip Slavenski“ Music School in Novi Sad, which has now been successfully operating for over 25 years.
With his students, he regularly participates in national and international accordion competitions. Over the years, he has performed in several bands — for example, he was a member of a tango ensemble for thirteen years, a quartet performing works by a contemporary Hungarian composer, a klezmer group, and an ethno-folk ensemble. He also participates as a musician in numerous theatre productions in Budapest and throughout the country.