Frank Horvat – composer & pianist
Frank Horvat is one of the most inventive songwriters to come out of the contemporary scene in Canada (WholeNote Magazine). This award-winning composer’s music is emotional and intense. As a pianist and multi-genre composer, he has made the tricky musical leap that allows him to pursue a niche of his own (Edmonton Journal). Frank explores a wide array of themes in his music from love to the environment, mental health and social justice issues. He gives his audiences time and space to reflect in this fast-paced world. Frank’s compositions tell deeply personal stories while permitting audiences to ponder their own.
His works have been featured on over twenty albums on labels including ATMA Classique, Azul Music, and Centrediscs. With composition premieres on four continents, his music has been showcased internationally in theatre, feature films, and radio/TV networks including BBC Radio 3, Bravo, CBC, CBS, Discovery, HBO, and Vice, and featured in publications such as Gramophone, The Strad, BBC Music Magazine, Toronto Star and Vancouver Sun.
Frank’s 2021 album, Music for Self-Isolation, was listed in the top 5 classical albums of the year by CBC Classical and Ludwig van Toronto’s ‘Year In Review: Classical Gems’. Plus, Frank’s other 2021 album, Project Dovetail, was included in CBC Music’s ‘must hear’ albums for Fall 2021.
He ignores boundaries and isn’t afraid to mix politics with art (Ludwig van Toronto) as many of his composition projects revolve around social issues. He has been a panelist at the Classical:NEXT conference speaking on the topic of ‘Artivism’ and featured in Chris Gunness’ UK Classical Music Magazine podcast.
His environmental projects include his sustainably-minded, 60+ stop, North American Green Keys Tour, and his social media campaign #music4HRDs and album, For Those Who Died Trying (“the resulting [musical] tributes are poignant” – BBC Music Magazine), that look at the stories of murdered environmental activists. Dozens of string quartets participated in this awareness campaign including: Juilliard, Merel, Mivos, Utrecht, and Zemlinsky Quartets as well as members from orchestras around the world including the London Symphony.
His mental health projects include his Piano Therapy Concerts, and the social media campaign and album recorded at Roy Thomson Hall, Music for Self-Isolation. “It takes a special skill to be able to create a whole atmosphere in a work that is just 2 minutes long. I really liked that,” Suzy Klein, BBC Radio 3. Over 150 soloists from around the world have participated online and on the album. Music for Self-Isolation was CBC In Concert’s Record of the Week in April 2021.
Born in Ottawa, a graduate in composition at the University of Toronto under Christos Hatzis, he now lives and composes by the lake in Toronto with his wife/manager. Frank is an Associate Composer at the Canadian Music Centre, a member of the Canadian League of Composers, and the inaugural recipient of the Kathleen McMorrow Music Award for contemporary composition.
His work has been supported by the Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, FACTOR, New Music USA and the SOCAN Foundation.
Frank is currently working on several exciting collaborative projects including with Swedish-Canadian filmmaker, Gunilla Josephson; Canada’s Thin Edge Music Collective; Canadian soprano, Meredith Hall; and American trumpeter, Richard Stoelzel. Discover his latest adventures at www.frankhorvat.com.
