Eszter Haffner is considered one of the most exciting and respected violinists and teachers of our time. 

She is currently Professor of Violin at the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna and at the Royal Danish Academy of Music in Copenhagen.

Previously, she served as Professor of Violin at the University of Music in Graz and as guest professor at the Royal College of Music in London, the Franz Liszt Academy in Budapest, the Aurora and Old Ox Academies in Stockholm, the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, the Royal College of Music in Stockholm, Yale University, the Eastman School of Music, and the Jacobs School of Music in Bloomington.

Over the past 25 years, Eszter Haffner has captivated audiences around the world with her performances, while also establishing close artistic relationships with some of the most prestigious conductors and orchestras. Her social engagement and tireless commitment to the arts in Austria were recognised in the summer of 2021 with a state decoration for artistic services to the Republic of Austria. 

Eszter performs on the “ex Hamma Segelmann” violin built by Nicola Bergonzi in 1750, generously on loan from the Austrian National Bank. Her strings are sponsored by Larsen Strings and her bow by Charles Shih.

She is a member of the ensembles Haffner Strings, Haffner Trio, and the Aurora and Old Ox Ensemble Sweden. She also serves as consultant for Live Music Now in Vienna, founded by Yehudi Menuhin, as well as for the Aurora and Old Ox Festivals in Sweden and the Virtuoso Belcanto Festival in Lucca, Italy.

Eszter Haffner studied at the Budapest Liszt Music Academy with Andras Kiss, Ferenc Rados, and György Kurtag. After the completion of her studies in Hungary, she went to the University of Music and Performing Arts in Vienna to study with Gerhard Schulz and Josef Sivo. She also studied with Josef Gingold, Alberto Lysy, Tibor Varga, Sandor Vegh, and she completed her postgraduate studies in the Netherlands with Viktor Libermann and Philip Hirschhorn. During her studies, she was a prize winner in numerous international competitions.

Her recordings reflect her broad and rich repertoire, ranging from chamber music to violin concertos, from Haydn to Hanns Eisler.

She is frequently invited to serve on the juries of major international violin competitions.