Dr Anna Detari

PhD, MSc, MA, BA

Lecturer in Performance Science

Anna Détári is a Lecturer in Performance Science within the Centre for Performance Science at the Royal College of Music. Anna’s main research interest is performing artists’ health and well-being. Informed by her work as both a performer and a researcher, her goal is to translate the latest scientific findings into effective practices to positively impact musicians’ lives in a meaningful way.

Anna holds her Bachelor of Music and Master of Music degrees in flute performance which she completed at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music and the University of Pécs in Hungary. Her interest in musicians’ health inspired her to complete a Master of Science degree in performance science at the Royal College of Music, followed by a doctoral degree at the University of York. Anna’s PhD research examined Musician’s Focal Dystonia - a task-specific neurological movement disorder - from a holistic perspective, considering psychological, psychosocial, and behavioural risk factors, to enhance existing treatments and establish preventative strategies.

As a member of the CPS, she continues her research into performers’ physical and mental health, focusing on motor movement acquisition, body mechanics, the psychosocial work environment of musicians, mental health, neurodiversity, and their implications for music performance and education.

Selected publications

Détári A (2023), Treating the musician rather than the symptom: the holistic tools employed by current practices to attend to the non-motor problems of musicians with task-specific focal dystonia, Frontiers in Psychology, 13 (1038775) [DOI].

Détári A & Nilssen TM (2022), Exploring the impact of the somatic method 'Timani' on performance quality, performance-related pain and injury, and self-efficacy in music students in Norway: an intervention study, Frontiers in Psychology, 13 (834012) [DOI].

Détári A, Clark T, & Egermann H (2022), Musician’s focal dystonia: a mere neurological disorder? The role of non-organic factors in the onset of musician’s focal dystonia: an exploratory Grounded Theory study, International Journal of Music, Health and Wellbeing, Spring/Summer [LINK].

Détári A & Egermann H (2022), Towards a holistic understanding of musician's focal dystonia: educational factors and mistake rumination contribute to the risk of developing the disorder. Frontiers in Psychology, 13 (2298) [DOI].

Détári A & Egermann H (2022), Musician’s focal dystonia: the practitioner’s perspective on psychological, psychosocial, and behavioural risk factors, and non-motor symptoms. Medical Problems of Performing Artists, 37(3), 200-207 [DOI].

Détári A, Egermann H, Bjerkeset O, & Vaag J (2020), Psychosocial work environment among musicians and in the general workforce in Norway, Frontiers in Psychology, 11 (1315) [DOI].