Violinist

Iva Bittová was born in 1958 in Bruntál in northern Moravia in what was then Czechoslovakia. Both of her parents were musicians. Her mother Ludmila was a pre-school teacher; her father Koloman Bitto (Bittová is the feminine form of the surname) was a musician strongly influenced by the land of his birth – southern Slovakia. He predominantly playeddouble bass, cymbal, guitar, and trumpet. This exceptional ability to play almost any instrument, whether classical or folk, proved a major influence on his three daughters. Both of Iva’s sisters are professional theatre performers and musicians.

Iva attended drama school, specialising in violin and ballet, after which she graduated in drama and music at the Conservatory of Music in Brno.

Around this time she also featured as an actress in radio, TV and movie productions. While working full time in theatre, she re-kindled her interest in playing violin. After her father’s death, she decided to follow in his professional footsteps as an instrumentalist and composer.

In 1982, Iva studied with Professor Rudolf Šťastný, the first violinist of the Moravian String Quartet. In the intervening years the violin has become her life’s passion and the most inspiring musical instrument in her professional life.

After living in the countryside near Brno for 17 years, Iva relocated to the United States. Iva shares her Hudson Valley home with her younger son Antonín (born 1991) – also a dedicated musician and chip off the Bitto block.