Katalin Kókas
- Violin
Violin and viola virtuoso Katalin Kókas is one of the most outstanding figures in Hungary in the field of classical music. Since 2002, she has regularly held masterclasses all over the world and she has been an associate professor at the Liszt Academy of Music since 2004.
Among many others, Kókas has played with the Bratislava Chamber Orchestra, the Israeli Chamber Ensemble, the Franz Liszt Chamber Orchestra, the Taiwan Philharmonic, the Košice Philharmonic, the Poznan Philharmonic, and the Târgu Mureş Philharmonic, as well as numerous symphony orchestras from North and South America, South Africa, and Hungary.
Kókas began studying the violin under Mrs Béla Gyánó in the city of Kaposvár when she was only five years old. Her tuition continued in Pécs with György Papp and then at the age of 11 she was admitted to the Liszt Academy’s School for Exceptional Young Talents, where her mentors were Ferenc Halász and then Dénes Kovács.
At 16, she received a scholarship at Toronto’s Royal Conservatory of Music, where she was a student of Lóránd Fenyves. Following her time in Canada, Kókas returned to the Academy of Music where, tutored by Eszter Perényi, she graduated with honours.
Katalin Kókas is a founding member of the Kelemen Quartet and she has appeared with them throughout Europe and also in the USA and Australia. After winning national competitions in Hungary, in 1999 Katalin took first prize at the Carl Flesch International Violin Competition, and in 2002 she was awarded first prize at the International József Szigeti Violin Competition.
In 2009 she was awarded the Liszt Prize by the Hungarian State. Katalin Kókas plays a 1698 Testore violin, which is loaned to her by the Hungarian State, and an 1863 Luigi Fabris viola.