Natasha Szervanszky-Cavaye
Cellist
Natasha is a versatile and accomplished cellist whose extensive career spans chamber music, string quartet playing, and orchestral performance. A founding member of the Szervánszky String Quartet, Natasha spent over a decade bringing the ensemble’s expressive interpretations to audiences in Hungary. The quartet was awarded third prize at the Leoš Janáček International String Quartet Competition in Brno and first prize at the Weiner National Chamber Music Competition in Budapest—milestones that marked their reputation for artistry and cohesion.
From 2010 to 2022, Natasha was a valued member of the Concerto Budapest Symphony Orchestra, where she was appointed Sub-Principal Cello in the latter half of her tenure. Her orchestral work was distinguished by enjoying performances of the larger orchestral repertoire with full cycles of the Mahler and Shostakovich Symphonies as well as contributing to recordings of Beethoven’s 9 Symphonies and Piano concertos with renowned Hungarian pianist Dénes Várjon.
During her time at the orchestra, Natasha also performed regularly as a member of the contemporary ensemble – The Ligeti Ensemble and enjoyed working with composers such as György Kurtág and Péter Eötvös, participating in some of the ensemble’s most compelling performances of the ensemble during that period.
In 2022, Natasha returned to the UK and, alongside her partner, violinist Mihály Stefko, took on the revitalization of Lamp House Music in Scotland. Under their leadership, the school has grown into a vibrant hub for musical learning, nurturing young talent and providing transformative educational opportunities within the community.
Natasha continues to be an active performer and is a core member of the Kromatik Ensemble, founded in 2022. With members whose artistic activities span continents, the ensemble brings fresh perspectives in creative programming and chamber music-making and strong musical collaboration.
Whether on stage, in rehearsal, or working with the next generation of musicians, Natasha brings a deep commitment to musical excellence, collaboration, and community.
Mihaly Stefko
Violinist
Mihaly is a dynamic and accomplished violinist whose career spans major orchestral, chamber, and international projects. A graduate of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music in Budapest, Mihaly earned a Master’s Degree in Music Performance and Teaching under the guidance of renowned violinist Janos Rolla.
As a passionate chamber musician, Mihaly has been a member of the Szervánszky String Quartet since its founding in 2009. The ensemble has garnered critical acclaim, winning 1st prize at the Leo Weiner National Chamber Music Competition and 3rd prize at the Leoš Janáček International String Quartet Competition in Brno, Czech Republic.
From 2011 to 2019, Mihaly was a member of the Concerto Budapest Symphony Orchestra, performing as First Violin, followed by a distinguished tenure with the Hungarian National Philharmonic Orchestra from 2019 to 2022 in the same position. These years were marked by extensive touring and high-profile collaborations, contributing to Mihaly’s reputation as a skilled and expressive orchestral player.
Since July 2022, Mihaly has performed as First Violin with the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, an ensemble formed to represent solidarity through music, bringing together top musicians from across Europe and beyond.
Since returning to the UK in 2022, Mihaly has also taken on the revitalization of Lamp House Music in Scotland. The music school has gone from strength to strength and oversees the musicals education of over 250 pupils.
Whether on stage with a string quartet or in the ranks of leading symphony orchestras, Mihaly is known for musical sensitivity, technical refinement, and a deep commitment to collaboration and cultural exchange.
Ronald Cavaye
Ronald Cavaye studied at the Royal College of Music in London with Oliver Davies, at the
Musikhochschule in Hannover with Hans Leygraf and at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music with Pál Kadosa and György Kurtág.
He has taught masterclasses and served on the jury of international piano competitions in in the UK, France, Switzerland, Hungary, Austria, Japan, China, and the USA. He has also written for The Times, The Times Literary Supplement, the Edinburgh Festival, the Paris Autumn Festival. and is the author of Music Education of the Japanese, and two books and numerous translations of the Japanese Kabuki theatre: Kabuki - A Pocket Guide (Tuttle); Kabuki Plays on Stage Vol. III – Darkness and Desire (University of Hawai’i Press); A Guide to the Japanese Stage (Kodansha International, Japan – with Paul Griffith); The Vendetta of the 47 Rōnin in Modern Kabuki – A translation of Mayama Seika’s Genroku Chūshingura – with Brian Powell and Paul Griffith (Brill, 2024).
Valeria
Valeria Szervánszky studied at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music with Pál Kadosa and
György Kurtág, and at the Musikhochschule in Hannover with Hans Leygraf.
Before moving to Tōkyō, she taught the “Exceptionally Gifted Children's Class” at the Liszt Academy in Budapest and is still active as a teacher.
She is also the dedicatee of Kurtág’s Szálkák – Splinters, a piece originally composed for the cimbalom and rewritten for piano.
Sally Day was educated at St Mary's Music School and at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London. She has worked as an orchestral clarinettist in Scotland and further afield, including with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, National Symphony Orchestra of Ireland, Opera North, Royal Northern Sinfonia, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Scottish Opera as well as on recording sessions at Abbey Road and Air Studios in London. As a member of the Scottish Clarinet Quartet, she has been involved in the commissioning and performance of new works, including for four bass clarinets. In her spare time, Sally is interested in jazz and has performed klezmer at the Glastonbury Festival.
Tamas Fejes
Violinist
Tamas Fejes has been a member of world-class orchestras where he played in leading/co-leading positions working together with top conductors and soloists in the UK, Germany and in Switzerland. He is currently the Assistant Leader of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Tamas has been invited to teach, conduct masterclasses and coach in summer schools and several universities across the USA, Hungary and the UK.
Since 2003 Tamas has been a Part Time Lecturer of violin and chamber music at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
As an active and keen chamber musician, Tamas founded the Fejes Quartet in 2006. They have had residencies, concert tours, CD recordings (Nimbus, Toccata Classics), educational projects, and masterclasses in France, Italy, Hungary and in the UK collaborating with eminent musicians, e.g. Raphael Wallfisch among others.
As a soloist Tamas has regularly played concertos and recitals in the UK, Belgium, Hungary, Italy and Switzerland. His repertoire includes all the major violin concertos, from Baroque to 20th century. In 2016 he recorded Bach’s complete Sonatas and Partitas for unaccompanied violin, released under Discovery Music and Vision label (DMV120), and launched the CD in two performances at the RSNO centre to huge acclaim.
Born into a family of musicians in Hungary. At the age of 10 Tamas won second prize in the János Koncz national violin competition.
Tamas studied at the F. Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, and while there, he gave numerous recitals also organised by Jeunesses Musicales and was invited to make several appearances on radio and television.
He moved to London to continue his studies at the Guildhall School of Music & Drama and was an active participant of masterclasses, chamber music seminars, and festivals in the UK, Germany, Hungary, Spain and the USA.
