I had never heard of Kató Havas until I discovered her first book, A New Approach to Violin Playing, while browsing violin technique books at Patelson’s, the famous New York music store.

It is a relatively short book, just 71 pages, but packed with what I found to be a work of great clarity and depth, filled with fascinating new ideas. Unlike many books on violin technique, I couldn’t put it down. I immediately began exploring her concepts of balance, movement, and tone production in my own practice.

At that point, I still knew nothing about the author herself until I came across an announcement in The New York Times for a series of lectures on The New Approach to Violin Playing to be given by Kató Havas at the Mannes College of Music in New York. Although I was not living in New York at the time, my growing interest in her ideas convinced me to attend the first lecture. Meeting her there marked the beginning of an extraordinary musical journey.

That journey eventually brought me to London in the 1970s for three years of study with Kató. This was followed by many years of participation in the Purbeck, Roehampton, and Oxford Festivals, all founded and directed by Kató Havas. Her influence became a major part of both my teaching and performing life.

Havas’ first book was later followed by Stage Fright and The Twelve Lesson Course, both of which further enriched her teaching. Kató worked with students at every level, from enthusiastic amateurs to highly accomplished professionals. Her approach to teaching and playing opened the joy of music-making to countless musicians.

The New Approach is not new anymore. It is a proven, organized, carefully thought through approach to teaching and playing , and deserves a prominent place within the long standing tradition of great teaching of string players

Joanne Cohen

Joanne Cohen is Professor Emerita of Violin and Viola at Concordia College. She earned her degree in Violin Performance from the Peabody Conservatory of Music and was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship to study violin at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome, Italy.