Janos Horvath

Janos Horvath is an international performer and clinician who has taught and performed in Australia, Taiwan, Holland, England, Hungary, Austria, the United States, and Canada. Born and raised in Hungary, he received his training in cello teaching and conducting at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. In addition, he studied cello performance at Boston University and conducting at the Monteux School for Conductors and Orchestra Players in Maine and participated in Master Classes with Robert Shaw and with John Poole of the BBC singers.

In 1973, Mr. Horvath was invited to teach at the Kodály Musical Training Institute in Wellesley, Massachusetts. During his tenure there, in addition to teaching graduate-level trainees and children in grades K-3 in the pilot schools of the institute, he also taught part-time at the New England Conservatory. In 1978-79, he was instructor at the Kodály Institute and School in Kecskemet, Hungary, as well as the assistant conductor of the city orchestra and choir. He was granted political asylum in the United States in 1980.

In that year, he accepted a full-time position at the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford in Connecticut, where was director of undergraduate and graduate programs of the Kodály Musical Training Institute and founded the Kodály Institute Singers. During his six years in Hartford, he continued to lecture and conduct internationally.

In 1987, Mr. Horvath was appointed associate professor of music at the University of Calgary, where he taught courses in music education, musicianship and conducting. He conducted the University of Calgary Chamber Choir, a mixed choir that participated in festivals and toured extensively in the USA, Canada and Europe. A finalist in the CBC radio competition, the group has three CD recordings to its credit. He was also assistant conductor of the University of Calgary Orchestra.

While in Calgary, Mr. Horvath also was musical director of the Calgary Civic Symphony orchestra and served on the jury of Calgary Concerto Competition (C3) for several years. In 2009, he conducted the musical Sweeney Todd at the Pumphouse Theatre in Calgary.

Mr. Horvath has been invited to conduct the OAKE National Youth Choir performance in Constitution Hall, Washington, D.C.in 2009. That same year, he was awarded the Pro Coro Achievement Award by the Alberta Choral Federation and the Teaching Excellence Award at the University of Calgary. In 2010, Mr. Horvath was the guest conductor in the Kodály School and Conservatory (his alma mater) in Kecskemet Hungary for the school’s 60th anniversary.

Mr. Horvath retired from the University of Calgary in 2011 with the title of Professor Emeritus of Music. Since 2011, he has been visiting Associate Professor at Holy Names University, where he conducts the Chamber Singers and teaches musicianship and conducting for the Kodály Graduate teacher-training program. He is the founder of the HNU-Kodály Center Advisory Board and has been appointed to be an Honorary Trustee.

Since his move to California, he has taught master classes and spoken at the OAKE National Conferences in Atlanta and Oklahoma City, for the Northern California Kodály Association, in Provo, Utah, and at Baylor University in Texas, as well as for the Holy Names University Preparatory Music school and CSU in Chico, California, and the Kodály Center’s 50th celebration at Holy Names University in Oakland.