Janet Horvath, is a lifelong performing classical musician, soloist, speaker, educator, and author. The Minnesota Orchestra’s associate principal cello from 1980 to 2012, she has appeared as soloist with orchestra, and in recital and chamber music throughout the United States, Canada, and Europe.
The author of the award-winning book Playing (Less) Hurt—an Injury Prevention Guide for Musicians, she has worked with all instrumentalists to establish a holistic approach: to play with ease and eloquence, while preserving good posture and maintaining comfort.
A pioneer and authority in the area of the medical problems of performing artists and a passionate arts advocate, Janet is well-known among both amateur and professional musicians, teachers and students, and health care providers for her masterclasses and seminars, which have been well received by orchestras including the San Francisco Symphony, Utah Symphony, Indianapolis Symphony, and Boston Symphony Orchestra, and at colleges, conservatories, and conferences from coast to coast. She has appeared on national radio and television, including the BBC, CBC, and NPR.
A contributing writer for the online classical music e-magazine Interlude.HK, she has penned over 300 feature articles about music and musicians. Recent essays include A Musician Afraid of Sound published in The Atlantic, October 2015, and in national and international music publications, including Musical America, Chamber Music America, Strings Magazine, The Brass Herald and Strad Magazine among others.
Through her writing and musical performances, Janet creates restorative conversations, offers spiritual sustenance, and explores music’s life-bringing and healing power. In the age of fast-moving news, despite our best efforts, uncertainty and divisiveness prevail. Janet hopes to counteract the consequences of intolerance with her new book The Cello Still Sings, (to be released in spring) and endeavors to stimulate dialogue about inequality and the ramifications of intolerance.
She earned her master’s degree in music performance from Indiana University studying with Janos Starker and completed her MFA in creative writing.
Spoken language: English