Frank Horvat - Composer - Pianist

NEW ALBUM Oct 22
A collection of compositions, all based on other art forms, as performed by some of Canada’s top musicians. Recommended in CBC’s Fall album guide. LEARN MORE. Read More
Music for Self-Isolation
Watch performances. Listen to the album. Play the music. LEARN MORE. Read More
Self-Isolation Documentary Film
A year after the start of the COVID pandemic, musicians share their musical talents and insights of life during these uncertain and turbulent times in this poignant documentary short. WATCH NOW. Read More

FRANK HORVAT - Composer · Pianist · Songwriter · Recording Artist · Arranger · Producer

Album Sampler

Empathy, Compassion, and Finding Happiness in Our Troubled World Frank Horvat more... 03:27
Music for Self-Isolation - Cello Amahl Arulanandam (cello) more... 01:47
Life for Mars Frank Horvat (piano) more... 05:28
A Little Loopy Sharlene Wallace (harp) more... 09:54
I Wait For You Edwin Huizinga (violin), Erika Nielsen (cello), Gregory Millar (piano) more... 03:44
The Thailand HRDs, mvt. 23 Mivos Quartet more...
Diverging Crossroads Frank Horvat (piano) more... 08:32
Bliss Laura Swankey (vocals), Frank Horvat (piano) more... 10:10
Whistleblower Jamie Thompson (flute), Erika Nielsen (cello), Daniel Morphy (marimba), Frank Horvat (electric piano) more... 09:55
Return to East Aleppo Frank Horvat (piano) more... 05:09
Memories of a Place Past – St. Joe’s Trio Dell'aria more... 14:05
fishworshipper The Frank Horvat Band more... 03:06
Starsky & Hutch Frank Horvat (piano) more... 03:36
The Hurting Game The Frank Horvat Band more... 01:35
The Week After Frank Horvat (piano) more... 10:06
The Man, the Snake and the Fox, movt. 5 Ron Korb (flute), Ralitsa Tcholakova (violin), Benjamin Smith (piano) more... 01:54
The Dignity Song Romy Mounzer (vocals), Frank Horvat (piano) more... 04:39

Latest Compositions
Two Hearts In Concert
2021 – for violin and viola – 3:15 Premiere Performance World Premiere: July 21, 2021, Edmonton, Canada Fabiola Amorim (viola), Vladimir Rufino (violin) Recording coming Fall 2021 Programme Notes When the Amorim-Rufino Duo approached me to compose a new piece for them, I was very delighted by the opportunity. Fabiola and Vladimir are not just […]
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Latest Compositions
Together in Spirit
2020 – for large ensemble or orchestra – 4:00 Sheet Music Large Ensemble Score (pdf) Orchestral Score (coming soon) [please contact me for the complete parts] Recording Album: Music for Self-Isolation Date: April 9, 2021 Musician(s): Amahl Arulanandam, Tara Baxendale, John Campbell, Theodore Chan, Tanya Charles Iveniuk, Brent Crawford, Kristin Day, Michael Fedyshyn, Vanessa Fralick, […]
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Latest Compositions
Staccato Etude for Trumpet
2021 – for trumpet with or without marimba accompaniment – 3:15 Sheet Music Trumpet Part (pdf) Score (includes marimba part) (pdf) Programme Notes Commissioned by The World Trumpet Society and Richard Stoelzel/President of The World Trumpet Society, for the Daniel Patrylak Memorial Trumpet Competition. A special thank you to the SSHRC Connection Grant for making […]
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Latest Compositions
Empathy, Compassion, & Find…
Empathy, Compassion, and Finding Happiness in Our Troubled World 2020 – electronic – 3:27 Recording Album: Happiness in a Troubled World Date: January 15, 2021 Composer & Producer: Frank Horvat Mixed & Mastered: Jean Martin Label: I Am Who I Am Records Programme Notes In the 15th and final chapter of the book, The […]
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Latest Compositions
Finding Our Common Humanity
2020 – electronic – 7:53 Recording Album: Happiness in a Troubled World Date: January 15, 2021 Composer & Producer: Frank Horvat Mixed & Mastered: Jean Martin Label: I Am Who I Am Records Programme Notes In Chapter 14 of the book, The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World, The Dalai Lama says… “If we […]
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Latest Compositions
Positive Emotions and Building…
Positive Emotions and Building a New World 2020 – electronic – 7:36 Recording Album: Happiness in a Troubled World Date: January 15, 2021 Composer & Producer: Frank Horvat Mixed & Mastered: Jean Martin Label: I Am Who I Am Records Programme Notes In Chapter 13 of the book, The Art of Happiness in a Troubled […]
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Latest Compositions
Inner Happiness, Outer Happi…
Inner Happiness, Outer Happiness and Trust 2020 – electronic – 4:57 Recording Album: Happiness in a Troubled World Date: January 15, 2021 Composer & Producer: Frank Horvat Mixed & Mastered: Jean Martin Label: I Am Who I Am Records Programme Notes In Chapter 12 of the book, The Art of Happiness in a Troubled […]
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Latest Compositions
Hope, Optimism and Resilience
2020 – electronic – 5:56 Recording Album: Happiness in a Troubled World Date: January 15, 2021 Composer & Producer: Frank Horvat Mixed & Mastered: Jean Martin Label: I Am Who I Am Records Programme Notes In Chapter 11 of the book, The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World, The Dalai Lama quotes one of […]
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Latest Compositions
Coping with a Troubled World
2020 – electronic – 3:07 Recording Album: Happiness in a Troubled World Date: January 15, 2021 Composer & Producer: Frank Horvat Mixed & Mastered: Jean Martin Label: I Am Who I Am Records Programme Notes In Chapter 10 of the book, The Art of Happiness in a Troubled World, The Dalai Lama says… “Much […]
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Latest Compositions
Lorna’s Metamorphosis
2020 – for vibraphone, 2 marimbists, piano, timpani & fixed electronics – 10:30 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Vibraphone Part (pdf) Marimba 1 Part (pdf) Marimba 2 Part (pdf) Piano (pdf) Timpani (pdf) [please contact me for the fixed electronics sound file] Recording Album: Project Dovetail Date: releasing October 22, 2021 Musician(s): TorQ Percussion Quartet – […]
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Latest Compositions
Positivity
2019 – for violin & marimba – 60:00 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Programme Notes Composing this piece is part of an on-going mission for me, both creatively and personally, to simply be happy and positive. For a person like me who battles depression, that can be a challenging task. But these days, my inner aura […]
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Latest Compositions
Music for Self-Isolation: Stories
Please visit the Music for Self-Isolation website.
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Latest Compositions
Unity in Distress
2020 – for string quartet – 2:00 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Violin 1 Part (pdf) Violin 2 Part (pdf) Viola Part (pdf) Cello Part (pdf) Programme Notes I composed this piece in the Spring of 2020 when much of the world was at the apex of a shutdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is […]
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Latest Compositions
I Am Not Alone
2020 – 5-part student violin ensemble – 2:00 Sheet Music Score (PDF) PURCHASE PARTS Violin 1 Part (PDF) Violin 2 Part (PDF) Violin 3 Part (PDF) Violin 4 Part (PDF) Violin 5 Part (PDF) Programme Notes I composed this piece at home in the Spring of 2020. I, like most of the world, was in […]
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Latest Compositions
Pedal Music
2020 (5-movement suite for various instruments) Performing Forces & Duration Frame (20min) Based on the opening theme of Handel’s Water Music – Suite No. 1, 1. Overture String Quintet and Marimba Score (Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola 1, Viola 2, Cello, 4-octave Marimba) (Alternate arrangement for String Quartet and Marimba also available.) Rim (20min) Based […]
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Latest Compositions
Music for Self-Isolation
2020 – suite of solos and duos for various instruments and voice – 2:00 minutes each As a composer, I was feeling helpless at home during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, I realized I could at least provide my musical friends with new compositions while they were spending time in self-isolation. So […]
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Latest Compositions
Earth Hour 2
2019 – piano & optional fixed electronics at end of piece – 60:00 Sheet Music Score (pdf) [please contact me for the fixed electronics sound file] Recording Album: A Little Dark Music 2 Date: March 27, 2020 Musician(s): Frank Horvat Producer: Frank Horvat Location: Canterbury Music, Toronto Label: I Am Who I Am Programme Notes […]
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Latest Compositions
I Love You
2019 – for 16 pre-recorded voices – 11:50 Programme Notes I invited members of the public to submit an audio clip of themselves saying or singing, ‘I Love You’. I got such a wide array of material – poignant timbres in peoples’ spoken voices, passionate singing, farcical delivery and everything in between. I took […]
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Latest Compositions
7 Pianos
2018 – for 7 pianos – 14:30 Sheet Music Piano 1 (pdf) Piano 2 (pdf) Piano 3 (pdf) Piano 4 (pdf) Piano 5 (pdf) Piano 6 (pdf) Piano 7 (pdf) Recording Album: What Goes Around Date: October 25, 2019 Musician(s): Frank Horvat Producer: Frank Horvat and Jean Martin Location: Canterbury Music Co., Toronto Label: Centrediscs […]
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Latest Compositions
Sunken Carousel
2012 – for Celtic harp, 2 marimbas, piano, double bass – 10:30 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Harp & Marimba 1 Part (pdf) Marimba 2 Part (pdf) Piano Part (pdf) Double Bass Part (pdf) Recording Album: What Goes Around Date: October 25, 2019 Musician(s): Sharlene Wallace, Michael Davidson, Frank Horvat, Joseph Phillips Producer: Frank Horvat […]
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Latest Compositions
A Little Loopy
2014 – for 4 harps – 10:00 Recording Album: What Goes Around Date: October 25, 2019 Musician(s): Sharlene Wallace Producer: Frank Horvat and Jean Martin Location: THE FARM, Toronto Label: Centrediscs Programme Notes The phrase ‘a little loopy’ often implies something eccentric, crazy or confusing. This is not the case with this composition. This […]
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Latest Compositions
To My Mother
2019 – clarinet in A & piano – 7:50 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Clarinet Part (pdf) Programme Notes Inspired by the poem… To My Mother Christina Rossetti – 1830-1894 To-day’s your natal day; Sweet flowers I bring: Mother, accept, I pray My offering. And may you happy live, And long us bless; Receiving as you […]
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Latest Compositions
Fake News
2018 – cello & piano – 6:45 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Programme Notes When I was a kid, sometimes I couldn’t help myself but flatulate when in public. The best way to deflect attention from the fact that I had just emitted gaseous matter from my body was to scream, “ooh, who farted???”, as loud […]
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Latest Compositions
Life Span
2018 – string quartet – 10:10 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Programme Notes At the time I composed these programme notes for this composition, I had been a living human being on this planet for 44 years, 5 months and 14 days. According to one of those online life expectancy calendars, I can expect to live […]
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Latest Compositions
Oblivion
2018 – string quartet – 8:20 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Programme Notes Oh, how “delightful” to go through life completely oblivious to the world around you. Oblivious to the abuses against our air and water, against the fundamental rights for all humans, against love and compassion. No, you live in this mindless bubble where you […]
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DISCOGRAPHY
Music for Self-Isolation
Recorded at Toronto's iconic (and empty) Roy Thomson Hall, in the three days before another COVID-19 lockdown in January 2021. This album is a culmination of a project that has been evolving over a year in collaboration with musicians around the world.
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"It takes a special skill to be able to create a whole atmosphere in a work that is just 2 minutes long."
– BBC Radio 3
DISCOGRAPHY
Happiness in a Troubled World
From this surprise release of new music courtesy of award-winning Canadian composer, Frank Horvat, comes the soothing and meditative sounds of Happiness in a Troubled World.
Buy/Stream Album

"Frank Horvat's minimalism is attractive, bright-coloured…Also surprising."
– WholeNote Magazine
DISCOGRAPHY
A Little Dark Music vol. 2
Composer and pianist Frank Horvat returns a decade later with a follow-up album to his original instru- mental ode to the planet. A Little Dark Music 2 is introspective and powerful, a very personal reaction to the current state of our planet ten years on. Angry yet full of hope and beauty.
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"…it’s an important piece of musical art that needs to be heard"
– MainlyPiano.com
DISCOGRAPHY
What Goes Around
Centrediscs is proud to present, What Goes Around, a minimalist chamber album by Canadian composer Frank Horvat, featuring Beverley Johnston, Peter Stoll and Sharlene Wallace.
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DISCOGRAPHY
For Those Who Died Trying
World-renowned Mivos Quartet records these 35 movements inspired by a photo essay by photographer, Luke Duggleby
Video: Juilliard String Quartet
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"Performed with intensity and poise by the Mivos Quartet...the resulting [musical] tributes are poignant."
– BBC Music Magazine
DISCOGRAPHY
Love in 6 Stages
From Gaze to Lust to Bliss and on in a downward spiral, Love in 6 Stages takes you through the journey of an ill-fated relationship using the simplicity of voice and piano.
Video: Lust
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"A work where minimalism meets art song and where the two milieus collide in the visceral physicality and psychology of love...the six aspects of love turn into something superbly aerodynamic."
– WholeNote Magazine
DISCOGRAPHY
You Haven't Been
A follow-up response to Horvat’s first solo piano album a decade earlier (I’ll Be Good), You Haven’t Been takes on a beautiful and captivating tone. Introspective, full of hope and despair, the music looks at this storytelling pianist’s own struggles with mental health.
Video: Diverging Crossroads
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"...so deeply personal that listening to the music requires an intrusive mindset…recording the events of this long and difficult expedition in deeply personal and profoundly beautiful music."
– WholeNote Magazine
DISCOGRAPHY
The Current Agenda
Social justice music of today, in a powerful, brutal and heartfelt electro-chamber package.
Video: 08/14/13 - Cairo
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"Horvat focuses his outward vision and glares at the world in all its nakedness. What he sees results in music filled with anger, a mesmeric and hypnotic visual account of a world gone mad."
– WholeNote Magazine
DISCOGRAPHY
Me to We
An utterly emotional exploration of the potency of love. The music will wrench your heart apart and then piece it back together again.
Video: I Wait For You
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"...warm sounds that evoke healing, through music that is mysterious and exotic as well as long limbed and almost aria like without the vocals." – WholeNote Magazine
DISCOGRAPHY
Strange Machine
This album is indie rock with a splash of art. Crafted like a playlist, try listening to the whole album to see its effect. Pure energy that comes straight out of your speakers directly into your heart and soul. Video: Strange Machine
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"These songs will grant one rare access to peer into the soul of a quintessential artist and tormented soul that none of us can get enough of." – Indie Music Review
DISCOGRAPHY
I Can See You
A little indie and a little art rock... Pop, poetry and modern expression in a beautifully pained existence. Video: Inspired by the One I Love
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"The soundscapes are interesting, infectious, and hypnotic…"
DISCOGRAPHY
A Little Dark Music
An ambient yet powerful collection of compositions featuring four introspective tracks exploring real-world themes. Video: Earth Hour
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"Earth Hour really should be heard as one continuous piece, a journey... Highly recommended."
- WholeNote Magazine
DISCOGRAPHY
I'll Be Good
An aggressive and virtuosic collection of original solo piano compositions. These pieces without words tell deeply personal stories. Video: Like Franz Liszt and Metallica in a cage match!
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"Wildly original, often chaotic, eclectic as all get-out, and quite a ride."

Recent Posts
Banff – Week 1 Recap
Yes, I am presently in Banff! And as a Canadian musician, all I can say is FINALLY! It’s been my lifelong dream to come here and make music, and my dream has come true. I was actually supposed to be here August 2020 but the pandemic delayed it until now. The Banff Centre campus is […]
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Recent Posts
Things I Listen To…
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Recent Posts
shinrin yoku
One the simple pleasures for me this summer has been to sit under trees in our neighbourhood park. Their shade coupled with the breeze off Lake Ontario has been truly refreshing, cleansing and therapeutic. I recently discovered that there’s a name for such a thing…forest bathing! Known as shinrin yoku, it’s an accepted part of […]
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Recent Posts
Berry Berry Fun & Yummy
It being summer, Lisa and I felt compelled to make our berry torte this week. It tastes SO GOOD!! It’s just the right balance of tart and sweet. It’s got a nice thin crust made from dates and the top part is this amazing taste explosion of berries. We also like to sprinkle some coconut […]
View post
Recent Posts
Pristine Urban Nature
Each morning, I take a walk along a remote gravel path surrounded by an endless lake, flowers, trees (some of which grow fruit), birds and various other furry creatures. You might think that I live in a rural area, but this park is actually in my home city (and busy metropolis) of Toronto. I’ve often […]
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Recent Posts
The Importance of Being Uncomfortable
The actor, Ashton Kutcher, once said, “I’m continually trying to make choices that put me against my own comfort zone. As long as you’re uncomfortable, it means you’re growing.” This sentiment particularly resonates with me. I tend to strive on having everything exactly the way I want it. I’m very particular. I function best with […]
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Recent Posts
Shout-Out to the Farmers!
One of the wonderful initiatives in my Toronto community is the Saturday morning Farmer’s Market. From May to October, a good chunk of our vegetables come from Haley and Paddy and their Nourished Roots organic farm. Their stand at the market is brimming with the most colourful, nutritious, and yummy produce you can get. They’ve […]
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Recent Posts
5 Things I’m Looking Forward to This Summer
1. Scoring. I just blinked and have realized that many of my compositions for acoustic instruments need their score (aka sheet music) to be updated. In the past, I have had a love-hate relationship in prepping the score and parts for my compositions. But I’m feeling excited about getting these revisions done. I’m proud of […]
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Recent Posts
The Joy of Teaching
Today is my final day teaching piano for this school year. That feels more poignant than past years as I have spent most of 20-21 only being able to see my students online. We all survived thanks to technology. But, also thanks to our collective enjoyment of music. I can’t remember a past time where […]
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Recent Posts
Coming Together on Spotify
One of my favourite daily rituals is listening to music. These days, I’m using Spotify as my main source to listen and discover new music. I recently went out of my way to see how many of my own personal connections and music colleagues have their music on Spotify. I was surprised to see many […]
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Recent Posts
Today’s Outlook
I look out the window and everything is quiet. Toronto remains in lockdown but it’s also a holiday…Good Friday. It’s also 1 week before the new album comes out. Something that started as a reaction to the pandemic and it’s become one of my most special musical and life experiences. Normally, such an experience would […]
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Recent Posts
What Goes Around Film Fest
When my album of minimalist / loop-oriented music, What Goes Around, came out in October 2019, on the Centrediscs label, I had a vision that it would be a wonderful experience to have filmmakers and video artists interpret the “loopy” nature of the music through moving visuals. So I commissioned 6 Canadian artists to do […]
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Recent Posts
Last 5 Books I’ve Read
The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason It’s basically a self-help book on managing your personal finances but the messaging is told through a variety of short parables set in ancient Babylon. The book was written in the 1920s so its tone seems a bit not up to par for what would be […]
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Recent Posts
I Am (Not Good) Enough
When I’m feeling depressed, the words “I Am Not Good Enough” can easily roll through my mind. As a musician and composer, it’s easy to feel that way when someone says no to you or you get a rejection letter. What’s interesting about the phrase, “I Am Not Good Enough”, is that if you remove […]
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Recent Posts
How to be Happy in a Troubled World
It’s been a month since I released my latest album, Happiness in a Troubled World. And while I have been appreciative of the positive and heartfelt feedback the album has received, having it “out there” has gotten me to think more deeply about specific practical things I’m doing to stay happy in these troubling times. […]
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Reviews

Stuart Derdeyntheprovince.com
...put something together that really can be compared to Pink Floyd and the more out there aspects of Bjork... A must hear.
Raul da Gamathewholenote.com
Frank Horvat is one of the most inventive song writers to come out of the contemporary scene in Canada. ...duos appear to tear through the composer's innards not simply to discover his heart, but to gather its myriad pieces and bind them back together again. Horvat's work is exquisitely eventful and almost insidiously
effective.
John Teraudsmusicaltoronto.org
Toronto pianist [and composer] Frank Horvat likes to do things his way, not anyone else's. He ignores genre boundaries and isn’t afraid to mix politics with art.
Thom Ellisindie music review
These songs will grant one rare access to peer into the soul of a quintessential artist and tormented soul that none of us can get enough of.

Recent Posts
Banff – Week 1 Recap
Yes, I am presently in Banff! And as a Canadian musician, all I can say is FINALLY! It’s been my lifelong dream to come here and make music, and my dream has come true. I was actually supposed to be here August 2020 but the pandemic delayed it until now. The Banff Centre campus is […]
View post
Recent Posts
Things I Listen To…
View post
Recent Posts
shinrin yoku
One the simple pleasures for me this summer has been to sit under trees in our neighbourhood park. Their shade coupled with the breeze off Lake Ontario has been truly refreshing, cleansing and therapeutic. I recently discovered that there’s a name for such a thing…forest bathing! Known as shinrin yoku, it’s an accepted part of […]
View post
Recent Posts
Berry Berry Fun & Yummy
It being summer, Lisa and I felt compelled to make our berry torte this week. It tastes SO GOOD!! It’s just the right balance of tart and sweet. It’s got a nice thin crust made from dates and the top part is this amazing taste explosion of berries. We also like to sprinkle some coconut […]
View post
Recent Posts
Pristine Urban Nature
Each morning, I take a walk along a remote gravel path surrounded by an endless lake, flowers, trees (some of which grow fruit), birds and various other furry creatures. You might think that I live in a rural area, but this park is actually in my home city (and busy metropolis) of Toronto. I’ve often […]
View post