Eszter Haffner

Biography

...Viennese Elegance and Hungarian Temperament...“ Die Presse“ Austria

Eszter Haffner is one of the most exciting and respected violinists of our time. Over the last 25 years, she has been captivating audiences around the world with her distinctively rich sound, superb musicianship and outstanding interpretations. She has established close relationships with many of the most prestigious conductors and orchestras. Her social missions and her tireless commitment of the arts to the Republic of Austria was rewarded in summer 2021 with the federal award "Golden Decoration of Honor“ for artistic services to the Republic of Austria" and in 2024 with the Golden Medal for Culture awarded by the Lower Austrian Government. 

Always willing to expand her musical horizons, Eszter is also much sought after as a viola player.

In 2022 Eszter was appointed as a Professor of Violin at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW). Since 2000, she is also holding a professorship at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen and at the University of Music and Performing Arts Graz (KUG).  Since 2002 she has been Professor of Violin at the KUG University of Music Graz, Austria and since 2010 also at the Royal Academy of Music Copenhagen,Denmark. As a guest professor she is serving at Royal College London, Franz Liszt Academy Budapest, Aurora Old-Ox Stockholm, Sibelius Academy Helsinki, Music Academy Stockholm, Yale University, Eastman School of Music, Jacobs School Bloomington, NYU New York, Toho University, Villa Musica Mainz,Conservatories in Beijing,Shanghai,Singapore,Zhuhai and lots of more..

She has achieved significant international recognition through her expert teaching videos on the prestigious platform Tonebase Violin in the US. 

Eszter has been as a jury member at numerous international violin competitions, including: the Spohr Competition (Germany), Isang Yun Competition (Korea), Piccolo Magico Violin Competition (Italy), Andrea Postacchini Competition (Italy), Szymanowski and Bacewicz Competitions (Poland), LIVE Music Now Austria, Singapore Violin Competition,

Brahms Competition (Austria), Dubai Olympia, and the Khachaturian Competition. She is the artistic director of the Serguei Azizian Competition (Denmark) and CEO of the Fritz Kreisler Competition Vienna.She has given countless masterclasses at institutions including the most famous Universities like NYU, Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington, Stanford University, Yale University, UCLA, USC, USCI,Colburn School Los Angeles (USA), and Geidai University (Tokyo, Japan). 

Eszter plays the 1750 "ex Hamma Segelmann" Violin by Nicola Bergonzi on loan to her of the Austrian Nationalbank.

Her strings are kindly sponsored by „Jargar Strings by Thomastik Infeld“, her bow by Mr.Charles Shih and her 7 CD recordings by NEIRO Productions, Vienna and her new recording of Mozart Violin Concertos is coming out next February.

She is member of Haffner Strings, Haffner Trio and „Aurora Chamber” in Sweden. She is consultant of the Austrian Embassy Copenhagen and of the Organisations  Live Music Now,Vienna founded by Lord Yehudi Menuhin.

She is also active as a consultant and artistic advisor for Live Music Now Vienna (founded by Lord Yehudi Menuhin), EMIV Vienna, CIMS and Verão Clássico (Portugal), and the Virtuoso Belcanto Festival in Lucca, Italy. As the founder and artistic director of the Serguei Azizian Competition in Denmark and jury member at numerous international competitions, she is passionately committed to supporting and promoting young talents from around the globe. She is a faculty member of the PE-Förderkreis der Studierenden (Mannheim, Germany) and a professor at Villa Musica (Mainz, Germany). Since 2017, she has also curated the arts and cultural program at the Austrian Embassy in Copenhagen. Eszter is a member of both the Haffner Strings and the Haffner Trio.She studied with Prof. Gerhard Schulz, Sándor Végh, Philippe Hirschhorn, Joseph Gingold,György Kurtág, and Thomas Kakuska at the music academies in Vienna, Budapest, Bloomington and Utrecht. Her solo debut took place in 1991 at the Golden Hall of the Vienna Musikverein, conducted by Karl Österreicher. Since then, she has performed in many of the world’s leading concert halls and is the recipient of numerous international awards. She regularly appears at festivals around the globe. 

In addition to her classical repertoire, Eszter is a devoted interpreter of contemporary music. Many composers—including Alfred Huber, Peter Eötvös, Aleksey Igudesman, and Volker David Kirchner—have composed works especially for her. Haffner was born in Budapest, Hungary in 1969. She studied for 13 years in the Gifted Musician Class at the Budapest Liszt Ferenc Music Academy with Andras Kiss, Ferenc Rados and György Kurtag. After the completion of her studies in Hungary, she came to the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna, Austria to study with Gerhard Schulz ( Alban Berg Quartet ) and Josef Sivo. She received her Diploma with unanimous distinction and prize from the Department of Culture Vienna.

From 1987-1995 she participated in a variety of masterclasses with Josef Gingold, Lorand Fenyves, Alberto Lysy, Tibor Varga, Igor Ozim, Sandor Vegh and in 1995, she completed postgraduate study in Holland with Viktor Libermann and Philip Hirschhorn. Ms.Haffner has been the recipient of scholarships from the Alban Berg, M.Sobotka, Erasmus, Janecek and Ziehrer Foundations, as well as the PE Förderkreises (Promotion Circle ) in Mannheim, Germany.

She has also been prize winner in numerous international competitions:
Concertino Praha, Koncz Violin Competition Hungary, Jugend Musiziert, Stephanie Hohl Vienna, International Chamber Music Competition Trapani and Caltanissetta Italy.

She has taught at countless Music Festivals such as the Menuhin Festival Blonay, Prussia Cove, Sion, Brighton Festival, Römerberg Festival, Bates Festival, Montana Festival USA, Wörthersee Classics, Klangbogen Wien, Neuberger Kulturtage, Mondsee, Casals Festival France, Brahms Tage Mürzzuschlag, Styriarte Graz, Villa Musica, Cervantino Festival Mexico, Festival Tamaulipas, Haydn Festspiele, Schubertiade, Bregenzer Festspiele, Macau and Hong-Kong Festivals, Porto Gruaro Festival, Lucca Festival , Festival Stavanger etc.

As soloist and chamber musician (violin and viola ), she has appeared with artists such as Clemens Hagen, gerhard Schulz, Leonard Hokanson, Elisabeth Leonskaja, Alexander Lonquich, Arto Noras, Melvyn Tan, Pamela Frank, Lars Anders Tomter, Patrick Demenga, Christian Altenburger,Wolfgang Schulz, Marko Letonja, Nicholas Chumachenco, Torleif Themen, Marianna Shirinian and Stefan Vladar.

Her recordings reflect her unusually extensive musical range, covering chamber and concerto works from Haydn to Eisler. These include Piano Trios from Martinu,

Mozart, Brahms, Schubert, Kodaly with the Haffner Trio, Mozarts Sinfonia Concertante with Bettina Gradinger, Schubert, Schumann and Eisler Sonatas on behalf of the Austrian National Bank.

Her upcoming CD recordings of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart`s Violin Concertos sponsored by the Austrian Nationalbank will be released in 2026..

As pedagogue, Ms.Haffner`s experiences include 1999-2002 assistant to Prof.Gerhard Schulz and violin Lecturer at the University of Music in Vienna, as well, as being a regular violin and viola instructor at Neuberger Seminare, Casals Festival France, Danish Strings, Int.Sommer Academy Semmering, EMI-Vienna,Tokio,Hamburg,Madrid and Copenhagen, as well in the USA and Villa Musica,Germany.