Meet Janet Horvath: Author of Playing (less) Hurt and Associate Principal Cello of the Minnesota Orchestra

Janet Horvath joined the Minnesota Orchestra as associate principal cello in 1980 after two seasons in the same position with the Indianapolis Symphony. She received a bachelor's degree at the University of Toronto and a master's degree at Indiana University, studying with Janos Starker.

Horvath’s extensive performing career includes her International debut in London in 1986 at Wigmore Hall and recitals and broadcasts in London, Paris, Rome, Hong Kong and major cities across the United States and Canada. An active chamber musician, she has appeared at the Marlboro and Blossom Festivals, toured with Music from Marlboro and is a regular artist at the Mainly Mozart Festival in San Diego.

In January 1987 Horvath was the soloist in the American premiere of Paul Hindemith’s Cello Concerto, op. 3, with the Minnesota Orchestra led by Edo de Waart. The performance drew International attention and was broadcast twice throughout the United States. She has also been a soloist under Sir Neville Marriner, Leonard Slatkin, Nicholas McGegan and William Eddins. She performs chamber music regularly with her harp, flute and cello trio: Trio Panache.

Horvath is a nationally recognized authority and pioneer in the area of the medical problems of performing artists. She founded the Playing (less) Hurt™ Injury Prevention conference and lecture series. She has published articles in professional journals, appeared on radio and television programs, spoken at conferences and presented master classes and seminars on the topic.

The first printing of her book on the subject, Playing (less) Hurt- An Injury Prevention Guide for Musicians was released in June 2002 and sold out in four months. She is currently in demand for her seminars on injury prevention and has been a featured speaker at the Suzuki Association of the America’s Tenth National Conference in 2002, the American Harp Society’s National Conference in 2002, the 2002 ICSOM National Conference and International Conference of Symphony and Opera Musicians.

She has presented seminars for orchestras, most recently the San Francisco Symphony, and Opera, the Boston Symphony, the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, the Indianapolis Symphony and the Minnesota Orchestra, as well as for numerous colleges, teachers associations and music schools.  Recent lectures were given at the 2004 National Personnel Managers Conference, at the Longy School of Music in Boston, Boston University, the Boston Conservatory, and the Greater Boston Youth Symphonies.

In June of 2001 she gave the 2001 Richard J. Lederman Lecture at the prestigious symposium, Medical Problems of Musicians and Dancers, sponsored by the Performing Arts Medicine Association in conjunction with the Aspen Music Festival and Schools.

Highlights of recent seasons include chamber music performances at the Mainly Mozart Festival, chamber music performances with William Preucil, concertmaster of the Cleveland Orchestra, a trio performance with pianist Andre Watts, as well as a concerto appearance with the Metropolitan Symphony in the Twin Cities. In November of 2005 she appeared as soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra and in March 2003 she was the soloist with the Minnesota Orchestra in the local premier of the Stephen Paulus Concerto for String Quartet and Orchestra entitled Three Places Of Enlightenment. .