The Origins

The Circumstances of the Formation of the Kovács Method

In Hungary, the research relating to musicians' health started relatively early, preceeding similar initiatives abroad. Towards the end of the 1950-s Zoltán Kodály, as a professor of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music was the first to notice occupational hazards among the artists and he recognized the importance of prevention. As a result of his proposal, Dr. Géza Kovács was invited to remedy the problem. At that time, Dr. Kovács was a leading consultant of nationwide sport instiutions and he was in charge of looking after the health of the general population.

With this momentum the research and educating of musicians about their own health issues started under the name of "The Care of Musical Work Capacity". From the year 1960 the base of research was located in the builing of the Music Academy. In 1977 it was relocated to the Béla Bartók Music Conservatory facility, where it operates today.

In 1975, a group of music teachers started to organize regular training sessions in the subject. From 1980 the Capital City Pedagogical Institute started the offical continuing professional education program for music instructors. In 1995 the Foundation for Musical Health was formed in Debrecen, they took over the organization of the continuing professional education program.

After the passing of Dr. Géza Kovács in 1999 the research, the education and the practical training workshops were continued by his colleague, Dr. Zsuzsa Pásztor. In 2000, the elective instruction of the Kovács Method started at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music.

In 2003 The Eötvös Loránd University offcially introduced The Care of Musical Work Capacity into its system of postgraduate courses.