Reka Szilvay

Finnish born violinist Réka Szilvay, with Austrian-Hungarian roots, has performed as soloist and chamber musician all over Europe, Asia, South America, South Africa and the USA. She appeared as soloist with all major Finnish orchestras as well as with the London Philharmonic, Mariinsky Orchestra St. Petersburg, Dallas Symphony Orchestra, City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, Copenhagen Philharmonic Orchestra, Orquestra Nacional do Porto, Tonkünstler Orchestra Austria and Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg.

She has toured with the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra, Helsinki Strings, Orkester Norden, Ostrobothnian Chamber Orchestra and the Lahti Symphony Orchestra and has worked together with renowned conductors like Valery Gergiev, Neeme Järvi, Leif Segerstam, Ádám Fischer, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Mikko Franck, Osmo Vänskä, Sakari Oramo and Okko Kamu. Often she appeared as soloist at Musikverein Wien and Großes Festspielhaus Salzburg, furthermore in most prestigious concert halls like Tokyo Suntory Hall, National Concert Hall Taipei, Symphony Hall Birmingham, London Barbican Concert Hall, Kölner Philharmonie und Teatro Colón Buenos Aires as well as at festivals like Kuhmo Chamber Music, Festival Grafenegg, Klangbogen Wien and Singapore Arts Festival.

Giving concerts together with such remarkable musicians like Gerhard Schulz, Erich Höbarth, Matthew Barley and Robert Cohen at Salzburger Festspiele, Helsinki Festival and Tampere Chamber Music Festival has enriched her creativity and artistic interpretation.

She is performing regularly with her Finnish pianist partner Heini Kärkkäinen with whom she performed all Beethoven sonatas as a cycle in various concert venues. With her Austrian pianist partner Christoph Berner they gave recitals at Konzerthaus Wien, Carnegie Hall New York, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Wigmore Hall London, Cité de la Musique Paris and Musashino Concert Hall Tokyo.

Réka Szilvay plays regularly also on gut strings and appears as soloist with the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra and in different chamber music formations together with cembalist Aapo Häkkinen and violinist Erich Höbarth among others.

Radio stations, which have broadcast Réka Szilvays performances are the BBC, Radio France, Arte TV France, the Austrian ORF, the Finnish YLE and the Hungarian MRT. She has recorded for the labels Warner Records, Alba Records and Naxos.

2006 Réka Szilvay was appointed Professor of Violin at the Sibelius Academy/University of the Arts Helsinki. She continues the pedagogical tradition of her professors Tuomas Haapanen, Sándor Végh and Gerhard Schulz. Many of her students are winners and laureates at international competitions. Apart from giving concerts and master classes, she engages in the issue of ergonomy in violin playing and holds regularly workshops and presentations.