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Album Release: For Those Who Died Trying
"These compositions are gifts, tenderly composed and gorgeously played...They are universally moving." - Richard Allen, A Closer Listen
ATMA Classique presents the world premiere recording of The Thailand HRDs, an epic 35-movement string quartet composed by Frank Horvat, performed by Mivos Quartet Read More -
#music4HRDs
String quartets around the world are using their social networks to stand up for Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) who have lost their lives as World Human Rights Day approaches. #music4HRDs Read More
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Submit Your Voice!
This is your chance to share your voice saying or singing the phrase 'I LOVE YOU' for Frank's next composition. It is easy to submit. OR, come by in person Feb 15 & get a free cupcake! Learn more Read More
FRANK HORVAT - Composer · Pianist · Songwriter · Recording Artist · Arranger · Producer
Album Sampler
- 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
- Void Laura Swankey (vocals), Frank Horvat (piano) more... 10:01
- 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
- fishworshipper The Frank Horvat Band more... 03:06
- The Man, the Snake and the Fox, movt. 5 Ron Korb (flute), Ralitsa Tcholakova (violin), Benjamin Smith (piano) more... 01:54
- 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 Dignity Song Romy Mounzer (vocals), Frank Horvat (piano) more... 04:39
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Latest Compositions
Fake News2018 – 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 […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
Life Span2018 – 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 […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
Oblivion2018 – 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 […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
The Thailand HRDs2016-17 – for string quartet – 70:00 (35-movements, each movement is 2 minutes) Commissioned by Protection International Recipient of the 2017 Kathleen McMorrow Music Award Happening NOW: #music4HRDs Sheet Music Score (pdf) Recording Album: For Those Who Died Trying Date: November 16, 2018 Location: Canterbury Music Co., Toronto Musicians: Mivos Quartet Producer: Frank Horvat Naxos […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
An Understated Resolve2014 – solo piano – 3:42 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Recording Album: You Haven’t Been Buy Piece: iTunes Date: September 20, 2017 Location: Canterbury Studios, Toronto Musicians: Frank Horvat (piano) Producer: Frank Horvat Programme Notes This composition is dedicated to a friend who always shows grace, wisdom and an understated resolve – a special […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
Piano Piece No. 52015 – 4 hands / 2 pianos – 9:00 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Piano Piece No. 5 (Frank Horvat) from Millar Piano Duo on Vimeo. Performances World Premiere: November 20, 2017, University of New Hampshire Millar Piano Duo Programme Notes Unlike many of my compositions, this piece is not programmatic, as is evident by the […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
Void2016-17 – for female voice and piano – 10:00 Music by Frank Horvat Words by Frank Horvat & Lisa Horvat Recording Album: Love in 6 Stages Buy Song: iTunes Date: September 21, 2017 Location: THE FARM, Toronto Musicians: Laura Swankey (vocals), Frank Horvat (piano) Producer: Frank Horvat and Jean Martin Programme Notes I composed […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
End2016-17 – for female voice and piano – 10:00 Music by Frank Horvat Words by Lisa Horvat Recording Album: Love in 6 Stages Buy Song: iTunes Date: September 21, 2017 Location: THE FARM, Toronto Musicians: Laura Swankey (vocals), Frank Horvat (piano) Producer: Frank Horvat and Jean Martin Programme Notes I composed End to be […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
Fight2016-17 – for female voice and piano – 10:00 Music by Frank Horvat Words by Frank Horvat & Lisa Horvat Recording Album: Love in 6 Stages Buy Song: iTunes Date: September 21, 2017 Location: THE FARM, Toronto Musicians: Laura Swankey (vocals), Frank Horvat (piano) Producer: Frank Horvat and Jean Martin Programme Notes I composed […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
Bliss2016-17 – for female voice and piano – 10:00 Music by Frank Horvat Words by Frank Horvat & Lisa Horvat Recording Album: Love in 6 Stages Buy Song: iTunes Date: September 21, 2017 Location: THE FARM, Toronto Musicians: Laura Swankey (vocals), Frank Horvat (piano) Producer: Frank Horvat and Jean Martin Programme Notes I composed […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
Lust2016-17 – for female voice and piano – 10:00 Music by Frank Horvat Words by Frank Horvat & Lisa Horvat Recording Album: Love in 6 Stages Buy Song: iTunes Date: September 21, 2017 Location: THE FARM, Toronto Musicians: Laura Swankey (vocals), Frank Horvat (piano) Producer: Frank Horvat and Jean Martin Programme Notes I composed […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
Gaze2016-17 – for female voice and piano – 10:00 Music by Frank Horvat Words by Frank Horvat & Lisa Horvat Recording Album: Love in 6 Stages Buy Song: iTunes Date: September 21, 2017 Location: THE FARM, Toronto Musicians: Laura Swankey (vocals), Frank Horvat (piano) Producer: Frank Horvat and Jean Martin Programme Notes I composed […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
Heat Island2017 – piano – 9:30 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Performances World Premiere: July 13, 2017, Music & Beyond Festival, Horticulture Building, Ottawa Frank Horvat (piano) Programme Notes When you read the words “Heat Island”, one might imagine “fun-in-the-sun” touristy images or the title of some chintzy Reality TV show. The true reality though is that […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
Return to East Aleppo2017 – piano & electronics – 5:12 Recording Album: Never Again Is Now Buy Album: The Aleppo Music Project Musicians: Various including Frank Horvat (piano) Programme Notes On January 18, 2017, I read an article on BBC News’ web site by journalist, Jeremy Brown, who provided a detailed first-hand account of the return of […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
Fifty-Ninth Index2015 – electronic – 3:45 Programme Notes I composed this electronic work as my contribution to an online arts project entitled 58 (+1) INDICES ON THE BODY. The project, a collaboration between the AMAE Art Collective, artist Pier Giorgio De Pinto and the philosopher Jean-Luc Nancy, called on composers to create a work that would […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
Despair2016 – solo piano – 2:45 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Recording Album: You Haven’t Been Buy Piece: iTunes Date: September 20, 2017 Location: Canterbury Studios, Toronto Musicians: Frank Horvat (piano) Producer: Frank Horvat Programme Notes Then bitter self-reproaches as I stood I dealt me silently As one perverse–misrepresenting Good In graceless mutiny. Excerpt from […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
Distant2016 – solo piano – 3:22 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Recording Album: You Haven’t Been Buy Piece: iTunes Date: September 20, 2017 Location: Canterbury Studios, Toronto Musicians: Frank Horvat (piano) Producer: Frank Horvat Programme Notes Yes, I can be quite distant. Sometimes that’s good, sometimes bad. It’s always just been that way ever since […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
Longing2016 – solo piano – 3:38 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Recording Album: You Haven’t Been Buy Piece: iTunes Date: September 20, 2017 Location: Canterbury Studios, Toronto Musicians: Frank Horvat (piano) Producer: Frank Horvat Programme Notes I am constantly longing. Often, I don’t even know what I’m longing for. It’s always festering inside me. Sometimes […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
Crossroads Where I Stand2015 – solo piano – 3:50 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Recording Album: You Haven’t Been Buy Piece: iTunes Date: September 20, 2017 Location: Canterbury Studios, Toronto Musicians: Frank Horvat (piano) Producer: Frank Horvat Programme Notes Do you ever wish you had taken another path? Made a different important life decision? It is hard standing […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
Realizations2015 – solo piano – 3:05 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Recording Album: You Haven’t Been Buy Piece: iTunes Date: September 20, 2017 Location: Canterbury Studios, Toronto Musicians: Frank Horvat (piano) Producer: Frank Horvat Programme Notes Often when I’m alone within my own thoughts, I will come to certain rational and/or emotional revelations. Rather than […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
Goodbye Louisa2015 – solo piano – 4:28 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Recording Album: You Haven’t Been Buy Piece: iTunes Date: September 20, 2017 Location: Canterbury Studios, Toronto Musicians: Frank Horvat (piano) Producer: Frank Horvat Programme Notes I was with Louisa for 8 years. In that time, she gave me much room to grow. But she […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
Desolate Heart2016 – solo piano – 2:43 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Recording Album: You Haven’t Been Buy Piece: iTunes Date: September 20, 2017 Location: Canterbury Studios, Toronto Musicians: Frank Horvat (piano) Producer: Frank Horvat Programme Notes I cannot put into words what it feels like to walk through life with emptiness in my heart. My […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
Crestfallen2016 – solo piano – 3:06 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Recording Album: You Haven’t Been Buy Piece: iTunes Date: September 20, 2017 Location: Canterbury Studios, Toronto Musicians: Frank Horvat (piano) Producer: Frank Horvat Programme Notes Bury me whole in Autumn leaves, In golden clusters lay me down, Inhaling the damp brown decay. For Autumn […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
Just One Moment2015 – for one piano, three hands – 2:30 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Recording Album: You Haven’t Been Buy Piece: iTunes Date: September 20, 2017 Location: Canterbury Studios, Toronto Musicians: Frank Horvat (piano) Producer: Frank Horvat Programme Notes Do you ever get that slight glimmer of hope? It’s not to be confused with joy […]View Item -
Latest Compositions
My Fractured Soul2016 – for two pianos, four hands – 3:06 Sheet Music Score (pdf) Recording Album: You Haven’t Been Buy Piece: iTunes Date: September 20, 2017 Location: Canterbury Studios, Toronto Musicians: Frank Horvat (piano) Producer: Frank Horvat Programme Notes I often feel broken on the inside. Then The Voice starts to encourage me, pushing me […]View Item
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DISCOGRAPHY
Love in 6 StagesFrom 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.Buy Album
Video: Lust
"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 BeenA 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.Buy Album
Video: Diverging Crossroads
"...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 AgendaSocial justice music of today, in a powerful, brutal and heartfelt electro-chamber package.Buy Album
Video: 08/14/13 - Cairo
"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 WeAn utterly emotional exploration of the potency of love. The music will wrench your heart apart and then piece it back together again.Buy Album
Video: I Wait For You
"...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 MachineThis 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 MachineBuy Album
"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 YouA little indie and a little art rock... Pop, poetry and modern expression in a beautifully pained existence. Video: Inspired by the One I LoveBuy Album
"The soundscapes are interesting, infectious, and hypnotic…" -
DISCOGRAPHY
A Little Dark MusicAn ambient yet powerful collection of compositions featuring four introspective tracks exploring real-world themes. Video: Earth HourBuy Album
"Earth Hour really should be heard as one continuous piece, a journey... Highly recommended."
- WholeNote Magazine -
DISCOGRAPHY
I'll Be GoodAn 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!Buy Album
"Wildly original, often chaotic, eclectic as all get-out, and quite a ride."
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Recent Posts
How Small Can We Go?Lisa and I are considering selling our Toronto condo and replacing it with a smaller space. We presently live in a 2-bedroom that’s over 700 sq. feet. One of the 2 bedrooms is our office. It’s a nice place…we enjoy it. But the idea of getting rid of more stuff and buying a one bedroom […]View post -
Recent Posts
Unique (and Crazy) Titles for CompositionsAs a composer, one of the steps in the creative process that I often find mentally difficult to grapple with is coming up with a title for a new work. Sometimes it can be so annoying that I often wish I could just call something “Untitled”. But it’s never gotten that bad that I’ve had […]View post -
Recent Posts
Dear AldenDear Alden, The news of your passing has saddened me deeply. Even though you finally succumbed to your battle with cancer, somehow I thought you would live forever. How would I not think that since every time I saw you, you were filled with such spirit and joy to live? You should have lived forever. […]View post -
Recent Posts
Stop Celebrating Composition Premieres!I recently attended the opening night of the Royal Conservatory’s 21C New Music Festival. It was a great evening of music by the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and featured compositions by the likes of Terry Riley (who was present) and several amazing and dynamic Canadian composers. Before the concert began, RCM’s Executive Director of Performing Arts, […]View post -
Recent Posts
New Year. New Gut. New Resolve – PART 2Follow-up to last week’s post…week 2 of the intense fast/cleanse is complete and since I’m physically able to type this post, I guess I survived:)! After a week 1 that featured just water and plain soup broth, week 2 felt like such a delight since I was able to eat one different green vegetable per […]View post -
Recent Posts
New Year. New Gut. New ResolveI spent a 7-day transition from 2018 to 2019 executing an intense fast/cleanse. The one and only time I had fasted was 20 years ago but I did not last a full week. This time I did, living off of water and soup broth. To say that this was an incredibly demanding physical and mental […]View post -
Recent Posts
‘Tis the Season to Reflect, Celebrate and Give ThanksAs I write this, I’m sitting at my kitchen table looking at the Christmas tree that my wife and I lovingly decorate every year and a nice little red poinsettia that a friend brought over to our condo earlier this week. Yes, it’s official…I’m in the Christmas spirit! Whoever decided that Christmas should take place […]View post -
Recent Posts
What Goes Around… Sticks EditionOn Thursday we recorded piece #3 on my upcoming album, What Goes Around… This piece is appropriately named Wood and Metal Bars. Here’s the Wood… marimba: vibraphone: And, the metal… xylophone: glockenspiel: What do they all have in common? Sticks, lots and lots of different kinds of hitting instruments made from yarn, rubber and who […]View post -
Recent Posts
What an Album Release!On November 16th, we released Frank’s 9th album, For Those Who Died Trying… and what a release it has been (and continues to be)! In just two weeks, almost 30,000 people have listened to the album… and that’s just on Spotify! Frank’s done three radio interviews (The Classical Underground, Song Talk Radio, The David Dalle […]View post -
Recent Posts
At the finish line, something new beginsOne can expect that the week leading up to an album release would be hectic. I should know since I’ve done it 8 previous times. But releasing For Those Who Died Trying was the mother of all hectics! But in a good way. These past 8 days, I don’t think I had more than 4-5 […]View post -
Recent Posts
#music4HRDsEver start working on something that started off all “normal” and under control but then started to get crazy exciting and borderline-out-of-control?!? That might be what I’m feeling right now. With the new album, For Those Who Died Trying, soon to be released on November 16, it quickly became apparent that the subject matter was […]View post -
Recent Posts
Toronto Bucket ListI’ve lived in Toronto for 25 years and I feel like I’ve experienced everything that this city has to offer. But after giving it some thought, there’s definitely some places and events I would so very much like to experience… 1. Leafs Game @ Scotiabank Arena – Back in the 1990s, I was fortunate to […]View post -
Recent Posts
Various Things I’m Telling Myself……this week in order to keep my spirits up: When I reach out to others asking for something, it’s not begging, it’s providing information. Even though I don’t think there’s hope in my future, there actually is…as long as I tell myself that there is. If a friend unfriends me on social media, it’s not […]View post -
Recent Posts
Introducing What Goes AroundOne of the cool parts of my musical life is the cycles. Projects are ending and others are beginning all at the same time. And each are at various stages of development. It keeps life fresh and exciting. As we gear up to have For Those Who Died Trying released next month, we’re already starting […]View post -
Recent Posts
Don’t Urinate On My Building!The Toronto condo in which I live is overseen by a very thorough and competent property manager and staff. Our condo board has bylaws in place and the property manager is like a focussed, stone-faced sheriff from a Western enforcing the law. At times, if any resident strays off course in respecting the rules, they […]View post
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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.comFrank 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.orgToronto 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 reviewThese 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.
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