First of the Hungarian violin makers with this name, in the youth he made the mechanic at homeland and from 1936 to 1939 the miner in France, but at the outbreak of the war, returned to his homeland where he was called to arms. In spite of a period of imprisonment and a successful escape, in 1943 he studied photography and began to practice the profession of photographer. He married in 1944 and his two sons István junior (today a violin maker in Cremona with the name Stefano Conia) and Lajos (who is also a violin maker in Hungary today) were born. After the World War, contrary to the political regime governing his country, he tried to escape with his family but was detained at the Austrian border and sentenced to 5 years in prison (four more for two unsuccessful attempts at escaping). He left the prison in 1956, and despite his divorce, he went on to become a professional photographer until he was able to open a studio at Tatabánya and get the custody of his two children and get married for the second time. His interest in liuteria was born at 13 years at Nagygerezsd when desiring to own a violin and he built with wood which was donated by a carpenter and with the help of a knife. In the following years, he has buitk others, which were increasingly appreciated by local music masters and by famous violinists such as David Oistrach and Yehudi Menuhin, who in 1960 asked him to make five violins 7/8 for his London school, which he made in Cremona. It was the Hungarian musician Zoltán Kodály to recommend him to attend the International School of Liuteria in Cremona, where he graduated with full marks and with a gold medal in 1968. Back in his native country he performed the violin maker profession in Tatabánya until his death. During his stay in Cremona he attended exhibitions and competitions: 1965, '66, '67 in Cremona; Liège and Poznan in 1967. But its most important achievement came in 1976 with the silver medal for a cello at the 1st International Triennale of Cremona. She also exhibited her work in California, Canada and many times in Hungary.
