Curriculum Vitae – [Name Omitted for Privacy]
Born: January 17, 1948, Budapest, Hungary

Background & Education
My father, Dr. Edgár Reischl, was a pediatrician; my mother, Mária Ház, was a trained elementary school teacher. I have two siblings. I began playing the violin at the age of eight at the District VIII Music School in Budapest. After completing elementary school, I studied first at Leöwey Klára Secondary School, then at the Bartók Béla Secondary School of Music, graduating in 1966. In 1971, I received a degree in violin pedagogy from the Teacher Training Faculty of the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music. That same year, I married Béla Virágvölgyi, a mechanical engineer. We have two daughters, Nóra and Dóra.

Professional Career
From 1971, I taught classical violin for nine years, first at the Kodály Zoltán Elementary School of Music (Marczibányi tér), then at the District VI Music School in Budapest.
I became involved with Hungarian folk music in the autumn of 1971, joining the orchestra of the VDSZ Bartók Béla Folk Dance Ensemble, where I played until 1980. From 1980 to 1990, I served as the ensemble’s musical director and lead violinist.
In 1973, we founded the Virágvölgyi Ensemble, which received the title Young Master of Folk Art in 1974.

Research & Teaching
Starting in 1973, I worked under contract for the Folk Dance Research Group of the Institute for Musicology at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, transcribing and organizing collected folk material.
I have been actively involved in the Táncház (Dance House) movement since its beginnings in the early 1970s.
Initially, I taught in weekend workshops throughout Hungary (e.g. Budapest, Székesfehérvár, Győr, Mosonmagyaróvár, Szeged, Hódmezővásárhely, Szentendre, Jászberény, Üllés). From 1992, I began teaching at music schools:

• 1992–1994 – Rajeczky Benjámin Music School, Pásztó

• 1993–2003 – Hermann László Music School and Secondary School of Music, Székesfehérvár

• 1997–2000 – Erkel Gyula Music School, Újpest

• 2000–2010 – Nádasdy Kálmán School of the Arts, Budafok

• Since 2000 – Teacher at the Óbuda Folk Music School
  (Retired in 2010, but continue to teach.)

Twelve of my students have continued their studies at higher institutions: six at the College of Nyíregyháza and six at the Liszt Ferenc Academy of Music.

Publications & Contributions
I have documented and edited folk music materials for decades. My work has resulted in 16 volumes of the Instrumental Folk Music Series published by the Hungarian Institute for Culture and later by the House of Traditions. The latest volume features the melodies of Rudolf Viski, a lead fiddler from Gyalú.

I have also published studies in Musicological Studies (Zenetudományi Dolgozatok), and co-authored “The Music of Men’s Dances in Szék” with Béla Halmos (1995). I participated in editing two volumes of the “Living Heritage” series (Planétás Publishing):

• Instrumental Folk Music from Szék (with László Felföldi)

• Hungarian Traditional Dance Music (with István Pávai)

Honors & Awards

• Young Master of Folk Art (1974)

• Master of Folk Applied Arts (1986)

• Pesovár Ferenc Commemorative Medal (1994)

• “Musician of the Year” – Székesfehérvár (1994)

• Martin Foundation 1st Prize, Martin György Memorial Medal (1994)

• Artisjus Music Foundation Award (2009)

• Nádasdy Kálmán Memorial Medal (2010)

• Honorary Cross of Józsefváros (2012)

• Hungarian Golden Cross of Merit (2013)

• Halmos Béla Memorial Medal (2016)

Additional Interests
Alongside music, weaving is my great passion. Self-taught, I earned the title of Master of Folk Applied Arts in 1986. My Székely-style and Sámi-striped rugs have been exhibited and awarded at national competitions.