Frank Horvat - Composer - Pianist

NEW Commission!
Imagine Canada as A Village of Landscapes with a performance by bassoonist, Sébastien Malette; music by Frank Horvat; and photos by Michelle Valberg. Learn more about this upcoming album. Read More
Vancouver Bach Choir
The Vancouver Bach Choir has commissioned a cantata called, Memories of Self-Isolation. This is a sequel to the Music for Self-Isolation project. Find out more. Read More
Mental Health Tour
This new event is geared to college/university music students, specifically addressing the mental health challenges of a life in music. Learn more Read More

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

Album Sampler

Innertation Frank Horvat more... 01:00:18
Ode to the Evil Patty Hewes - III. Brilliant Edwin Huizinga (violin), Frank Horvat (piano) more... 05:33
Music for Self-Isolation - Cello Amahl Arulanandam (cello) more... 01:47
Empathy, Compassion, and Finding Happiness in Our Troubled World Frank Horvat more... 03:27
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
In the Area of the Heart
2022 – for solo violin and fixed electronics – 6:30 Sheet Music Score (pdf) [please contact me for fixed electronics part] Premiere Performance World Premiere: August 6, 2022, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico Paulina Derbez (violin) Programme Notes Meditation has been an integral part of my daily routine for a number of years. My mind […]
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Latest Compositions
Innertation
Innertation 2019 – electronic – 1:00:00 Recording Album: Innertation Date: May 27, 2022 Composed & Produced: Frank Horvat Mixed & Mastered: Jean Martin Label: I Am Who I Am Records Programme Notes Innertation is a continuous 60-minute electronic ambient composition that I created as an extension to my meditation practice. I began composing this […]
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Latest Compositions
Just Cracked
2022 – for SATB Choir and piano – 3:10 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Programme Notes When I first read Just Cracked, a short poem by my friend, Meg Freer, I knew I would want to set it to music. In Meg’s touching prose, she evokes a heartfelt, consoling spirit for a loved one who is […]
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Latest Compositions
Helianthus
2022 – for a cappella Treble Choir – 3:30 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Programme Notes The barbaric invasion of the Ukraine in early 2022 reminded me of how vulnerable the world is to falling into the trap of trying to solve disputes through violence and war. I was inspired to compose this choral work as […]
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Latest Compositions
Timeless Life
2019 – for orchestra (0000 / 2010 / timp / 2hp.pf / str) – 6:00 Sheet Music Score (pdf) [please contact me for the complete parts] Programme Notes This work is inspired by the idea that it is okay to have a mindset that one can live forever. While a life with no restrictions of […]
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Latest Compositions
To Cope and Manage
2021 – for solo violin – 3:45 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Premiere Performance World Premiere: Nov 18, 2021, Richmond Hill, Canada Stephen Sitarski (violin) Programme Notes According to the United Kingdom’s Mental Health Foundation, one of the pillars of good mental health is the “ability to cope with and manage change and uncertainty”. What I […]
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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 Album: DEBUT Date: July 2022 Musician(s): Amorim-Rufino Duo – Fabiola Amorim (viola), Vladimir Rufino (violin) Producer(s): Vladimir Rufino, Fabiola Amorim Location: Muttart Hall, Edmonton, AB Canada Label: Azul Music Programme Notes […]
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Latest Compositions
Together in Spirit
2020 – for large ensemble or orchestra – 4:00 Sheet Music/Score Original Large Ensemble (pdf) Orchestral Arrangement (pdf) [please contact me for the complete parts] Performances World Premiere: Oct 3, 2021, Pan Pacific Ballroom, Toronto North York Concert Orchestra Recording Album: Music for Self-Isolation Date: April 9, 2021 Musician(s): Amahl Arulanandam, Tara Baxendale, John […]
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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: October 22, 2021 Musician(s): TorQ Percussion Quartet – Richard […]
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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) Performances World Premiere: Oct 2, 2021, Forest Grove United Church, Toronto Odin Quartet Other Performances: Oct 12, 2021, Timothy Eaton Memorial Church, Toronto Odin Quartet Programme Notes I composed this […]
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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 c 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. […]
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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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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.
Buy/Stream Album

"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
Innertation
It is time to make time and take the time. Innertation gives you that opportunity. It takes you on a 60-minute inward exploration.
Buy/Stream Album
DISCOGRAPHY
Project Dovetail
Frank Horvat’s final release in a trilogy that covers the epic year that has been. This latest emotionally fervent album, featuring some of Canada’s top chamber musicians, showcases the continued importance of art in our world.
Buy/Stream Album

"Frank Horvat has carved a niche for himself among today’s composers, wearing his fragile heart on his sleeve..."
– CBC Music
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
From Oblivion to Hope is Underway!
Day 1 of recording with the Odin Quartet went smashingly well! I love the energy of exchanging ideas and making tweaks on the fly in the studio to allow the new music to convey its best self. Thanks to Odin and the Canterbury Music Company staff, it was a great day. In case you missed […]
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Recent Posts
Piano Therapy Virtual Tour Filming
It was a physically and emotionally absorbing day to film the first phase of the Piano Therapy Virtual Tour. You would think that playing piano pieces on the theme of mental health for many hours in a row would be draining. But I have to say I felt the complete opposite…the experience was most therapeutic […]
View post
Recent Posts
NEW PROJECT – From Oblivion to Hope
I am delighted to share that I will be collaborating on a multi-phase project with the wonderful, Odin Quartet! Our main focus will be to record an album of my various compositions for string quartet. Called “From Oblivion to Hope”, the album will have a serious and pessimistic tone to start. But, as we go […]
View post
Recent Posts
UPDATE on New Choir Commission
As I previously announced earlier this Spring, I have been commissioned by the Vancouver Bach Choir to compose a cantata for vocal soloists, chorus and chamber ensemble. This will be a sequel to Music for Self-Isolation. Called ‘Memories of Self-Isolation’, this new work will explore perspectives and challenges faced by a cross-section of society as […]
View post
Recent Posts
Announcing the Piano Therapy Virtual Tour!
I’m very happy to announce that a musical project close to my heart has gotten the go-ahead! It’s called the Piano Therapy Virtual Tour, a series of hybrid events featuring the private screening of my soon-to-be produced solo piano concert film where I perform my compositions based on my own challenges and successes battling depression. […]
View post
Recent Posts
A Village of Landscapes
I am happy to announce a new collaboration! Sébastien Malette, the dynamic young bassoonist based in Ottawa, has commissioned me to compose a suite of solo bassoon pieces called A Village of Landscapes. Each of the 13 pieces is based on a photo of a prominent natural landscape within Canada. Each photo was taken by […]
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Recent Posts
Winds of Change for Mental Health
I am pleased to announce that I have been commissioned by Megan Lanz and Cayla Bellamy to compose a 3-movement work for flute-bassoon duo on the theme of mental health. This yet-entitled work is inspired by the cathartic journey of acknowledging the traumatic occurrences in your past. Only through this process of acknowledgement can we […]
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Recent Posts
New Choir Commission
Very happy to announce that I have been commissioned by the Vancouver Bach Choir to compose a cantata for vocal soloists, chorus and chamber ensemble. This will be a sequel to Music for Self-Isolation. Called Memories of Self-Isolation, this new work will explore perspectives and challenges faced by a cross-section of society as a result […]
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Recent Posts
Music for the Planet Playlist
In celebration of Earth Month, I need your help…I’m on a mission to compile and curate the biggest and most diverse Spotify playlist dedicated to music which celebrates and/or stands up for the environment. I’m inviting you to provide your suggestions to add to the playlist…it could be songs or instrumentals, pop, classical, any and […]
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Recent Posts
Let’s Stop War
Let’s get the Geneva Convention updated to make any and all war illegal. Let’s make a commitment that improving each human’s mental health is of paramount importance in order to help avoid the irrational and easy tendency to solve problems or disputes through violence. Let’s learn the power of patience and trust. Even when we […]
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Recent Posts
A Life Adjustment
For the past 6 months, I have been under the care of Dr. Clarise Chan, an amazing chiropractor who’s clinic is located in the neighbourhood in which I reside here on Toronto’s lakeshore. I became aware of Dr. Clarise after I received a promotional offer to attend her talk, get a free x-ray of my […]
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Recent Posts
Is Money Evil?
I used to think so. But in the past few years, I have grown to think of money in a more positive way. How can processed metal and paper be evil? As humans, I think we like to look at physical inanimate objects as symbols and think of them as being either good or evil. […]
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Recent Posts
No Shame in Habits
I’m currently reading a fascinating book called The Power of Habit, by Charles Duhigg. The book has effectively compiled many case studies and research from various facets of society showing how having effective and positive habits has the ability to improve our lives. There’s been a few nice nuggets that I’ve learned by reading this […]
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Recent Posts
NEW Commission – Tooting My Own Horn!
I am very pleased to announce that thanks to the generous support of the SOCAN Foundation and anonymous benefactors, I have been commissioned by master trumpeter and McGill University Faculty member, Richard Stoelzel, to compose a suite of trumpet etudes. The title, ‘So Close AND So Far’, is a play on how the collection is […]
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Recent Posts
Holiday Message
As 2021 comes to a close and we celebrate the holidays, I can’t help but reflect on how grateful I am for all the wonderful musical experiences that came my way this past year. When the pandemic started last year and projects were postponed or cancelled, I gave myself the goal to focus on working […]
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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
From Oblivion to Hope is Underway!
Day 1 of recording with the Odin Quartet went smashingly well! I love the energy of exchanging ideas and making tweaks on the fly in the studio to allow the new music to convey its best self. Thanks to Odin and the Canterbury Music Company staff, it was a great day. In case you missed […]
View post
Recent Posts
Piano Therapy Virtual Tour Filming
It was a physically and emotionally absorbing day to film the first phase of the Piano Therapy Virtual Tour. You would think that playing piano pieces on the theme of mental health for many hours in a row would be draining. But I have to say I felt the complete opposite…the experience was most therapeutic […]
View post
Recent Posts
NEW PROJECT – From Oblivion to Hope
I am delighted to share that I will be collaborating on a multi-phase project with the wonderful, Odin Quartet! Our main focus will be to record an album of my various compositions for string quartet. Called “From Oblivion to Hope”, the album will have a serious and pessimistic tone to start. But, as we go […]
View post
Recent Posts
UPDATE on New Choir Commission
As I previously announced earlier this Spring, I have been commissioned by the Vancouver Bach Choir to compose a cantata for vocal soloists, chorus and chamber ensemble. This will be a sequel to Music for Self-Isolation. Called ‘Memories of Self-Isolation’, this new work will explore perspectives and challenges faced by a cross-section of society as […]
View post
Recent Posts
Announcing the Piano Therapy Virtual Tour!
I’m very happy to announce that a musical project close to my heart has gotten the go-ahead! It’s called the Piano Therapy Virtual Tour, a series of hybrid events featuring the private screening of my soon-to-be produced solo piano concert film where I perform my compositions based on my own challenges and successes battling depression. […]
View post