Kató Havas:

Born Hungary, introduced to the violin at the age of five. Was recommended to the Royal

Academy in Budapest by Emil Telmanyi. Studied there, making her debut at Carnegie

Hall, New York at the age of seventeen, acclaimed by critics everywhere.

Later developed the New Approach to string playing, a revolutionary teaching method

dealing with the release of tension and anxiety which gave rise to here series of

publications: A New Approach to Violin Playing (1961), The Twelve Lesson Course in

the New Approach (1964), The Violin and I (1967) and culminating in Stage Fright, it's

Causes and Cures, with special reference to violin playing (1974). She also collaborated

with American teacher, Jerome D. Landsman, on a class teaching version of The New

Approach, Freedom to Play (1977).

A charismatic teacher, Miss Havas has been invited to lecture at Oxford University, has

given talks and demonstrations on television, as well as a series of lecture demonstrations

in Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada and in many European countries.

She has travelled extensively in the United States, giving workshops on the application of

the New Approach to violin and viola playing. She was founder and director of the

Purbeck Music Festival. Dorset, the Roehampton Music Festival. London, and the

International Festival in Oxford, where she is now based and approached by players from

all over the world.

In 1992, the American String Teachers Association conferred upon her it's prestigious

International Award in recognition of her unparalleled achievements.

Her books have long been translated into Chinese, German, Spanish and Swedish and

have recently become available in Czech and Italian.