Istvan studied composition, electronic music, and conducting at the Hartt School of Music, piano at the Yale School of Music, Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest Hungary (awarded a Fulbright Grant), composition and piano at the Oberlin Conservatory, Neighborhood Music School (NMS), and the Educational Center for the Arts (ECA). He taught piano and composition as well as music technology at Central Connecticut State University, Southern CT State University, as well as at ECA and NMS. Currently, he teaches piano, composition and theory at NMS. He also records, edits, and produces CDs of concerts and for audition.

His works have been performed in many venues throughout the United States, as well as Europe.

He especially enjoys working with performers and composers closely, and is the Artistic Director and founder of SOUNDunderGROUND (a concert series devoted to new music, composers, performers, poets, and other artists). He composes in many different styles and mediums: electronic, avant garde, electronica, orchestral works, sound mass, tonal, atonal, creating soundtracks, ambient environments, scores for film and games, folk-music-influences, new-agey, music of the spheres, hard-core, punk. There is often some kind of aesthetic/philosophy (or a process/game) that operates as structural glue in his works. Sometimes it is not outwardly obvious.

In his words: “I find that the essence of ‘composing’ is in the overseeing of large-scale blue-prints of works, and delighting in detail. Its an ever-changing process which is what has me ‘addicted’ “.

As a performer, Istvan performs new works for the keyboard and various electronic elements mixing styles, traditions and influences.