Australian Colourstrings Teacher Training

Géza Szilvay was born in Budapest in 1943. He studied the violin at the Béla Bartók Conservatory and violin pedagogic at the Budapest Music Academy, where he graduated in 1966. He also studied law and political science at the ELTE University in Budapest and took his doctor’s degree in1970.

Since 1971 he has been teaching the violin at the East-Helsinki Music Institute and since 1978 at the Sibelius Academy as well.

 

In 1984 he was appointed Principal of the East-Helsinki Music Institute. The renowned Helsinki Junior Strings (at present the Helsinki Strings) orchestra was founded by Géza Szilvay and the cellist Csaba Szilvay in 1972 and they have conducted the orchestra ever since until 2010. They recorded with the Helsinki Strings more than 30 commercial CDs under the label Finlandia and Warner Music.The Szilvay brothers have gained international recognition both as string pedagogues and as conductors and educators of children and youth orchestras.

 

In recognition of their work for youth culture they were awarded the Knight Order of the Finnish Lion in 1981, The Culture Prize of Finland in 1983, The Hungarian State Award for Cultural Activity in 1990, The Culture Prize of Helsinki Fazer Music Prize in 1995 and and the “Pro Musica” Award in 1999. Géza Szilvay was decorated with the prestigious “Accent” Prize of the Association of Finnish Music Institutes in 2005 and with the International Kodály Prize in 2007. In 2009 the President of Finland named Géza Szilvay as professor. In 2013 the President of Hungary decorated him with the Hungarian State Award (Magyar Érdemrend Tisztikereszt).

 

The Colourstrings approach, developed by the Szilvay brothers, has gained an international reputation and is now taught all over the world. A number of special Colourstrings institutions –schools, centres and societies- have been established in several countries in order to realize and further this child-centred teaching concept.