Hungarian-American violinist Hajnal Pivnick champions modern, community-driven music as both performer and curator.

Heard across the United States, Europe and Cuba, she performs with the world’s premier new music ensembles, on Broadway, in film, and alongside international recording artists. As a curator, her stewardship of artist collective Tenth Intervention (co-Artistic Director) and non-profit institution Musicambia (Operations Director) continue to push the envelope forward on experiential art, social consciousness, and community-centered music creation.

Recent performance highlights include a featured musician credit for the Academy Award-winning A24 film Everything, Everywhere, All At Once; Grammy award-winning Refuge by Geoffrey Keezer, and guest appearances with Alarm Will Sound and the Experiential Orchestra. Regular engagements include Iris Orchestra (TN) and leading the Urban Playground Chamber Orchestra (NY) as Principal Violin; on Broadway, she has appeared with productions like Tony Award-winning Parade (Broadway and City Center), Hamilton (Broadway and Angelica Tour), The Outsiders (Broadway), Cabaret (2024 Broadway), Stephen Sondheim’s Here We Are (The Shed), and Ain’t Too Proud (Broadway).

A graduate of Carnegie Mellon University and the Liszt Academy of Music, Hajnal developed a keen interest in modern music throughout her studies. With living composers as colleagues, she shifted her artistic mindset from that of preservation to innovation.  Such was the genesis of Tenth Intervention’s founding in 2013—from theatrical chamber ballets to large scale commissions of art portraying oppression, the artistic collective presents boldly themed work in non-traditional presentation styles. The ensemble has collaborated with 100+ musicians, composers, visual artists, activists, and dance companies, attracting grant support from American arts institutions like New Music USA, Lower Manhattan Community Council, Earle Brown Music Foundation, Johnstone Fund for New Music, and the Puffin Foundation. Together with mezzo soprano Kayleigh Butcher, Hajnal founded the duo Shepherdess which amplifies new voices within the contemporary classical musical landscape, specifically for voice and violin. In addition to changing how music is presented, Hajnal too works to make music more accessible. Through Musicambia, she works extensively with incarcerated individuals across the United States, having organized over one dozen educational programs combining ensemble performance and supportive musical experience. 

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, Hajnal makes her home in the New York City area. She held a violin faculty position with Interlochen Arts Camp for 11 years and currently has a private studio of students based out of Manhattan.

Photo by Titilayo Ayangade