My Way To Teach
I was very fortunate to have studied violin performance at Vienna Music Academy with great teachers.
I continued my studies with the late Katò Havas who become my mentor as a violinist. Under her guidance I was not only able to develop technically and musically, but I found freedom in my own playing. I was experiencing some tension problems in my left hand and couldnt find a solution to this.
To my great surprise and relief based on Katò Havas system these tensions became a thing of the past and I became a fully fledged performer and teacher.
Who was Katò Havas and where did she come from?
Katò Havas was a child prodigy in Hungary and an international acclaimed violin soloist. She and many other famous players such as J. Starker, Sandor Vegh and T. Varga were trained at the Hungarian Music Academy during what I would call the golden area of violin playing in Hungary steeped in a long tradition. I regard myself as the grand grand grand grand grand daughter of J. Joachim.
But there were other influences in Katò Havas childhood – the gypsies.
She asked herself how these gypsies could play so freely, with a warm tone and amazing facility. Whats more, they had never even had one violin lesson in there life. Later on she found answers to all this and took the best out of both worlds. She put all her insights together in a system called “Havas New Approach“ and very soon after this published her first book. She carried on to further develope what she called “The New Approach“ all her life.
As her former assistent and as an active perfomer myself, I continue to develope this unique way of teaching and performing and decided to give it the name FREEDOM TO PLAY VIOLIN ⓕ. Just like Katò Havas herself I don’t hold any auditions as I believe everyone has a gift to a greater or lesser extent.
Learning with my FREEDOM TO PLAY VIOLIN ⓕ system enables everyone to express their inherent talent fully. It always gives me great joy and satisfaction to see my students rapid progress, realising the goals they have set for themselves in a process of building up confidence and enjoyment.
Your way to FREEDOM TO PLAY VIOLIN ⓕ
Summary of skills and hidden secrets to great violin and viola playing
-There are only 3 major problems in violin and viola playing.
-In order to play with ease, musicality and authority it is necessary to understand the 3 major curative answers to these problems.
-I call them the 3 major secrets.
This is the basis of my FREEDOM TO PLAY VIOLIN ⓕapproach and everything else is built on it.
Therefore including the following topics:
–Physical and psychological blockages can often cause pain, injury and discomfort for many Violinists and Violists. This is completely unnecessary if you follow my system FREEDOM TO PLAY VIOLIN ⓕ, which is based on Katò Hava’s New Approach.
–Preparing body and mind to play by incorporating the system of miming without the instrument.
–Working from inside out and the difference between the inner ear which is always a step ahead and listening back to oneself, thus enhancing musical imagination and mastering you’re instrument.
–Counterbalance instead of counterpressure, knowledge of the fundamental balances necessary for free movement.
-The violin hold and the concept of the “no violin hold”.
-The bow hold and the concept of the “no bow hold”.
-The rhythmic gestures supporting the “2 hinges“ of the bowarm are able to take care of all aspects of bowing technique.
-The “drama of the intervals” with an elastic, free and creativ left hand, natural vibrato, clear articulation and intonation and a beautiful very personal tone.
–Solutions to stage fright
Complete physical coordination, FREEDOM TO PLAY VIOLIN ⓕ and the well developed “inner ear“, the idea of “giving to an audience“, which becomes so internalised that there is simply no time to get nervous.
Katò Havas became famous for this quote, and I like to use it: “No time to be nervous“
Lessons for violin and viola
12 lesson course
All 12 units are highly organised, incorporating all aspects of violin and viola playing for anyone wanting to release their full musical potential and discover FREEDOM TO PLAY VIOLIN ⓕwith special emphasise on the release of tension and stage fright.
We start the course with a half-hour free consultation session.
We start and end the course with a half hour discussion each time.
6 lesson course
The 6 lesson course is also a good alternative, giving you an overall view for starting out.
– Both courses are highly recommendable for players experiencing physical tension and stage fright.
-It is advisable to take a 12- lesson course first and then studying with me on a regular basis.
-I offer individual specific coaching for auditions, exams, concerts and chamber music coaching.
-I continue to give live workshops, masterclasses and lectures worldwide.
-I teach in my studio in Vienna but also online. (Skype, Zoom).
-Classes are held in English, German or Italian.
-In the middle of the current corona crisis is my online course an excellent opportunity to use this difficult time to develop as a player.
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