- Biography
- Repertoire
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Versatile, Grammy-nominated pianist JOHN NOVACEK regularly tours the Americas, Europe, Asia and Australia as solo recitalist, chamber musician and concerto soloist; in the latter capacity he has presented over thirty concerti with dozens of orchestras. Mr. Novacek begins his current season with an appointment to the Piano and Collaborative Piano faculty of The Mannes School of Music at The New School’s College of Performing Arts.
John Novacek’s major American performances have been heard in New York City’s Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts’ David Geffen and Alice Tully halls, 92nd Street Y, Columbia University’s Miller Theater, Merkin Concert Hall, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Symphony Space, Washington’s The Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Boston’s Symphony Hall, Chicago’s Symphony Center and Los Angeles’ Hollywood Bowl, while international venues include Paris’ Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Salle Gaveau and Musée du Louvre, London’s Wigmore Hall and Barbican Centre and Tokyo’s Suntory, Opera City and Bunkamura halls. He is also a frequent guest artist at festivals, here and abroad, including New York City’s Mostly Mozart Festival, California’s Festival Mozaic and those of Aspen, Cape Cod, Caramoor, Chautauqua, Colorado College, Great Lakes, Mendocino, Mimir, Music in the Vineyards, Ravinia, Seattle, SummerFest La Jolla, Wolf Trap, Canada’s Festival of the Sound, Ottawa, Chamberfest, Scotia, SweetWater and Toronto Summer Music, BBC Proms (England), Braunschweig (Germany), Lucerne, Menuhin Gstaad and Verbier (Switzerland), Serenates d’Estiu (Spain), Sorrento (Italy), Stavanger (Norway), Toulouse (France) and Sapporo (Japan). He has also made his debuts with the Orquesta Filarmónica de la Ciudad de México, as well as with the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra, the Austin, Duluth Superior, Springfield (MA) and Traverse symphony orchestras, National Academy Orchestra of Canada and Symphony Nova Scotia.
Often heard on radio broadcasts worldwide, John Novacek has appeared on NPR’s Performance Today, St. Paul Sunday and, as both featured guest composer/performer, on A Prairie Home Companion with Garrison Keillor. He was also seen and heard on television, including The Tonight Show with Johnny Carson, Entertainment Tonight and CNN International. Recently, Mr. Novacek has been prominently featured in discussion and performance on the highly successful PBS/Great Performances series Now Hear This. Hosted by Scott Yoo.
John Novacek is a highly sought-after collaborative artist and has performed with Joshua Bell, Renaud Capuçon, Jeremy Denk, Matt Haimovitz, Leila Josefowicz, Cho-Liang Lin, Yo-Yo Ma, Truls Mørk, Elmar Oliveira and Emmanuel Pahud, and, as well as the Afiara, Colorado, Harrington, Jupiter, New Hollywood, St. Lawrence, SuperNova and Ying string quartets. He also tours widely as a member of the multi-faceted Intersection, a piano trio that includes violinist Kaura Frautschi and cellist Kristina Reiko Cooper. As a tireless advocate for contemporary music, Mr. Novacek has also given numerous world premieres and worked closely with composers John Adams, Kenji Bunch, Gabriela Lena Frank, John Harbison, Jennifer Higdon, George Rochberg, Robert Sierra, John Williams and John Zorn.
John Novacek took top prizes at both the Leschetizky and Joanna Hodges international piano competitions, among many others. He studied piano with Polish virtuoso Jakob Gimpel at California State University, Northridge, where he earned a Bachelor of Music degree, summa cum laude. Subsequently, he earned a Master of Music degree from New York City’s Mannes College of Music, studying with Peter Serkin in piano and Felix Galimer and Julius Levine in chamber music. Mr. Novacek’s coaches in composition included Frederick Werle, Aurelio de la Vega and Daniel Kessner.
John Novacek’s original compositions have been widely performed and frequently recorded by major international soloists and ensembles. Commissioning entities include: New York Philharmonic, The Saint Paul Chamber Orchestra, Pacific Symphony, Chautauqua Symphony Orchestra, Fresno Ballet, Accordo/Schubert Club (film score), Fuji TV, Seattle Commissioning Club, Scotia Festival, Eastman School of Music, McGill University, West Texas A&M University, The 5 Browns, Concertante, Ensemble Liaison, Millennium, Manasse/Nakamatsu Duo, Harrington String Quartet, Ying Quartet, Quattro Mani. He has also prepared special arrangements for The Three Tenors, Boosey & Hawkes, EMI, Atlantic Records, John Williams, Lalo Schifrin, Kiri Te Kanawa and pop diva Diana Ross.
John Novacek has recorded over 35 CDs, encompassing solo and chamber music by most major composers from Bach to Bartók, as well as many contemporary and original scores. Mr. Novacek records for Philips, Naxos, Nonesuch, Arabesque, Warner Classics, Sony/BMG, IBS Classical, Koch International, New World, Universal Classics, Ambassador, Arkay, Azica, EMI Classics, Four Winds, Pony Canyon and Virtuoso. CD titles include Road Movies (2004 GRAMMY nomination as “Best Chamber Music Performance”), Great Mozart Piano Works, Spanish Rhapsody, Novarags (original ragtime compositions), Classic Romance, Hungarian Sketches, Intersection, Romances et Meditations and, with Leila Josefowicz, Americana (GRAMOPHONE: “Editor’s Choice”), For the End of Time, Shostakovich and Recital (BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE: 5 stars/June 2005's chamber choice). 2020 saw the IBS Classical releases of Chausson’s Concert in D for Violin, Piano & String Quartet and an album of viola sonatas by Glinka, Hindemith and Schubert with Randolph Kelly.
John Novacek is a Steinway Artist.
[CHAMBER ENSEMBLE REPERTOIRE FOLLOWS CONCERTO LIST]
BACH, J.S.
Concerto #1 in d, BWV 1052
BARBER
Concerto, Op. 38
BARTÓK
Concerto for 2 Pianos
BEACH, Amy
Concerto in c#, Op. 45
BEETHOVEN
Concerto #1 in C, Op. 15
Concerto #3 in c, Op. 37
Concerto #4 in G, Op. 58
Concerto #5 in E-flat, Op. 73 ("Emperor")
Fantasia in c, Op. 80 ("Choral Fantasy")
BERG
Chamber Concerto for Piano, Violin & 13 Wind Instruments
BRAHMS
Concerto #1 in d, Op. 15
Concerto #2 in B-flat, Op. 83
CHOPIN
Andante Spianato & Grande Polonaise, Op. 22
Concerto #2 in f, Op. 21
DAUGHERTY, M.
Le Tombeau de Liberace
FALLA
Nights in the Gardens of Spain
GERSHWIN
Concerto in F
Rhapsody in Blue
Second Rhapsody
Variations on I Got Rhythm
GOULD
Interplay (1943)
GRIEG
Concerto in a, Op. 16
HARRISON, L.
Suite for Violin, Piano & Small Orchestra
LISZT
Concerto #1 in E-flat
Totentanz
LISZT-BUSONI
Rhapsodie espagnole
MENDELSSOHN
Concerto #1 in g, Op. 25
Concerto in d for Violin & Piano
MENOTTI
Concerto in F (1945)
MOZART
Concerto #12 in A, K. 414
Concerto #13 in C, K. 415
Concerto #15 in B-flat, K. 450
Concerto #17 in G, K. 453
Concerto #20 in d, K. 466
Concerto #21 in C, K. 467
Concerto #23 in A, K. 488
Concerto #24 in c, K. 491
POULENC
Concerto in d for 2 Pianos (1932)
PROKOFIEV
Concerto #3 in C, Op. 26
RACHMANINOFF
Concerto #1 in f#, Op. 1 (rev. 1917)
Concerto #2 in c, Op. 18
Concerto #3 in d, Op. 30
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43
RAVEL
Concerto in G
SAINT-SAËNS
Carnival of the Animals
SCHUMANN
Concerto in a, Op. 54
SHOSTAKOVICH
Concerto #1 in c, Op. 35
TCHAIKOVSKY
Concerto #1 in b-flat, Op. 23
| BARTÓK | Contrasts (clarinet, violin, piano) Sonata for 2 Pianos & Percussion |
| BEACH, A.M.C. | Piano Trio in a, Op. 150 Piano Quintet in f#, Op. 67 |
| BEETHOVEN | Piano Trio #1 in E-flat, Op. 1, #1 Piano Trio #3 in c, Op. 1, #3 Piano Trio #4 in D, Op. 70, #1 (“Ghost”) Piano Trio #5 in E-flat, Op. 70, #2 Piano Trio #6 in B-flat, Op. 97 (“Archduke”) Piano Trio #7 in B-flat, Op. 11 Piano Trio #9 in G, Op. 121a (“Kakadu”) Piano Trio #10 in B-flat, WoO 39 Quintet in E-Flat for Piano & Winds, Op. 16 |
| BERMEL | Death with Interruptions (piano trio) |
| BERNSTEIN | Piano Trio |
| BONIS, Mélanie Helene | Piano Quartet #1 in B-flat, Op. 69 |
| BRAHMS | Clarinet Trio in a, Op. 114 Horn Trio in E-flat, Op. 40 Piano Trio #1 in B, Op. 8 Piano Trio #2 in C, Op. 87 Piano Trio #3 in c, Op. 101 Piano Quartet #1 in g, Op. 25 Piano Quartet #2 in A, Op. 26 Piano Quartet #3 in c, Op. 60 Piano Quintet in f, Op. 34 2 Songs, Op. 91 (voice, viola, piano) |
| BRIDGE | Phantasie Piano Quartet in f-sharp |
| BRUCH | Piano Quintet in g 8 Pieces for Clarinet, Viola & Piano, Op. 83 |
| CAPLET | Quintet for Flute, Oboe, Clarinet, Bassoon & Piano |
| CHAUSSON | Concert in D for Violin, Piano & String Quartet, Op. 21 Piano Trio in g, Op. 3 |
| CONNESSON | Sextet (1998) |
| COPLAND | Appalachian Spring (13 instrument version) Sextet for Clarinet, Piano & String Quartet Vitebsk (piano trio) |
| CRUMB | Music for a Summer Evening (Makrokosmos III) |
| DALBAVIE | Piano Quartet (2012) |
| DALLAPICCOLA | Musica per tre pianoforti |
| DEBUSSY | Piano Trio in G |
| DEBUSSY/Beamish | La Mer (piano trio) |
| DOHNÁNYI | Piano Quintet #1 in c, Op. 1 Sextet in C, Op. 37 |
| DOUGLAS | Quartet for Flute, Oboe, Bassoon & Piano |
| DRING | Trio for Flute, Oboe & Piano |
| DURUFLÉ | Prélude, récitatif et variations, Op. 3 (flute, viola, piano) |
| DVORÁK | Piano Trio #3 in f, Op. 65 Piano Trio #4 in e, Op. 90 (“Dumky”) Piano Quartet in D, Op. 23 Piano Quartet in E-flat, Op. 87 Piano Quintet #2 in A, Op. 81 |
| ELGAR | Piano Quintet in a, Op. 84 |
| ESMAIL, Reena | Piano Trio (2019) |
| FARRENC | Piano Quintet #1 in a, Op. 30 |
| FAURÉ | Piano Trio in d, Op. 120 Piano Quartet #1 in c, Op. 15 Piano Quintet #2 in c, Op. 115 |
| FRANÇAIX | Trio for Clarinet, Viola & Piano |
| FRANCK | Piano Quintet in f |
| FRIML | Piano Trio |
| GLASS | Piano Quintet “Annunciation” |
| GOUNOD | Hymne à Sainte Cécile (violin, piano, organ) |
| HAHN | Piano Quintet in f-sharp |
| HARRISON | Varied Trio (violin, piano, percussion) |
| HAYDN | Piano Trio #28 in D, Hob. XV:16 Piano Trio #39 in G, Hob. XV:25 (“Gypsy”) Piano Trio #43 in C, Hob. XV:27 Piano Trio #45 in E-flat, Hob. XV:29 |
| HIGDON | Dash (flute, clarinet, piano) Summer Shimmers for Piano & Wind Quintet Zaka (flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano, percussion) |
| JACOB | Trio (clarinet, viola, piano) |
| KAHN | Serenade, Op. 73 (oboe, horn, piano) |
| KAPUSTIN, Nicolai | Trio, Op. 86 (flute, cello, piano) |
| KHACHATURIAN | Trio for Clarinet, Violin & Piano |
| KORNGOLD | Piano Quintet in E, Op. 15 Suite for Piano Left-Hand & Strings, Op. 23 |
| LARSEN, Libby | Four on the Floor (violin, cello, bass, piano) |
| LAVIGNAC | Galop-marche (1 piano/8 hands) |
| LIEBERMANN | Fantasy on a Fugue by J.S. Bach, Op. 27 (piano/wind quintet) |
| MacMILLAN | Piano Quartet |
| MAHLER | Piano Quartet |
| MARTINU | Quartet for Oboe & Piano Trio La Revue de Cuisine (clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, violin, cello, piano) |
| MENDELSSOHN | Piano Trio #1 in d, Op. 49 Piano Trio #2 in c, Op. 66 Piano Quartet #3 in b, Op. 3 |
| MENOTTI | Suite for 2 Cellos & Piano Trio for Clarinet, Violin & Piano |
| MESSIAEN | Quartet for the End of Time |
| MILHAUD | La création du monde (for piano quintet, Op. 81b) Suite for Violin, Clarinet & Piano, Op. 157b |
| MOSZKOWSKI | Suite for 2 Violins & Piano, Op. 71 |
| MOZART | Piano Trio #5 in C, K. 548 |
| MUCZYNSKI | Fantasy Trio, Op. 26 (clarinet, cello, piano) |
| MUSGRAVE | Trio for Flute, Oboe & Piano |
| NOVACEK | Barcarolle (piano trio) Foster Fantasy (piano trio) Intoxication (piano trio) Reflections on Shenandoah (5 pianos) Trio Marlenita (clarinet, cello, piano) Variations on Danny Boy (piano quartet) |
| PIAZZOLLA | Las cuatro estaciones porteñas (piano trio) |
| POULENC | Trio for Oboe, Bassoon & Piano Sextet for Piano & Woodwind Quintet |
| PREVIN | Trio for Oboe, Bassoon & Piano |
| QUANTZ | Trio Sonata in c, QV 2:Anh.5 (flute, oboe, continuo) |
| RACHMANINOFF | Trio élégiaque #1 in g |
| RAVEL | Chansons madécasses (soprano, flute, cello, piano) Piano Trio in a |
| RIMSKY-KORSAKOV | Quintet in B-flat for Piano & Winds |
| ROTA, Nino | Clarinet Trio (1973) |
| SAINT-SAËNS | Romance, Op. 27 (violin, piano, harmonium) |
| SCHMITT, Florent | Á tour d’Anches, Op. 97 (wind trio & Piano) |
| SCHNITTKE | Piano Quintet |
| SCHOENBERG/WEBERN | Chamber Symphony #1 |
| SCHOENFIELD, Paul | Café Music (piano trio) Sonatina (flute, clarinet, piano) |
| SCHUBERT | Adagio in E-Flat for Piano Trio, D. 897 (“Notturno”) Der Hirt auf dem Felsen, D. 965 Piano Trio #1 in B-flat, D. 898 Piano Trio #2 in E-flat, D. 929 Quintet in A for Piano & Strings, D. 667 (“Trout”) Sonata in B-Flat for Piano Trio, D. 28 |
| SCHUMANN, Clara | Piano Trio in g, Op. 17 |
| SCHUMANN, Robert | Märchenerzählungen, Op. 132 (clarinet, viola, piano) Piano Trio #2 in F, Op. 80 Piano Quartet in E-flat, Op. 47 Piano Quintet in E-flat, Op. 44 |
| SHOSTAKOVICH | Piano Trio #2 in e, Op. 67 Piano Quintet in g, Op. 57 3 Duets for 2 Violins & Piano 5 Pieces for 2 Violins & Piano 7 Romances on Poems by Alexander Blok, Op. 127 (soprano, piano trio) |
| SIBELIUS | Piano Quintet in g |
| SIMON, Carlos | be still and know (piano trio) |
| SMETANA | Piano Trio in g, Op. 15 |
| SOHY, Charlotte | Piano Trio, Op. 24 |
| STILL, William Grant | Vignettes |
| STRAVINSKY | L’Histoire du soldat |
| SVIRIDOV | Piano Trio in a, Op. 6 |
| TANEYEV | Piano Quintet #2 in g, Op. 30 |
| TCHAIKOVSKY | Piano Trio in a, Op. 50 |
| TURINA | Piano Trio #2 in b, Op. 76 Piano Quintet in g, Op. 1 Scene andalouse (viola, piano, string quartet) |
| VAUGHAN WILLIAMS | Piano Quintet in c Quintet in D for Clarinet, Horn, Violin, Cello & Piano |
| ZIMMERLI | Latin Suite (piano trio, optional percussion) Piano Trio #1 Piano Trio #2 |
| ZWILICH | Quintet for Violin, Viola Cello, Contrabass & Piano |
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“VIOLA SONATAS” Hindemith: Sonata in F for Viola & Piano, Op. 11, #4 IBS CLASSICAL: IBS122020 |
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ERNEST CHAUSSON Concert in D for Violin, Piano & String Quartet, Op. 21 IBS CLASSICAL: IBS62020 |
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"GREAT MOZART PIANO WORKS" 12 Variations on Ah, vous dirai-je, Maman, K. 265 FOUR WINDS: FW 3013 |
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"SPANISH RHAPSODY" Liszt: Rhapsodie espagnole AMBASSADOR: ARC 1014 |
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"NOVARAGS" Rags by: John Novacek, Eubie Blake, James P. Johnson, Scott Joplin, Joseph Lamb, Luckey Roberts, James Scott AMBASSADOR: ARC 1008 |
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"RELAXATION" Saint-Saëns/Siloti: The Swan PONY CANYON: PCCL-00528 |
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"CLASSIC ROMANCE II" Debussy: Clair de lune FOUR WINDS: FW 30006 |
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"LAST KISS" Liszt: Liebestraum #3 FOUR WINDS: FW 3016 |
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JENNIFER HIGDON: Summer Shimmers with Susan Glaser, flutist KOCH: KIC-CD-7738 |
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JOHN ADAMS: Road Movies Leila Josefowicz, violinist NONESUCH: 79699-2 |
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PATRICK ZIMMERLI: Piano Trios Scott Yoo, violinist ARABESQUE RECORDINGS: Z6785 |
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"FOR THE END OF TIME" Falla: Suite populaire espagnole PHILIPS: 289 456 571-2 |
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"AMERICANA" Novacek: 4 Rags PHILIPS: 289 462 948-2 |
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Messiaen: Theme and Variations WARNER CLASSICS: 2564 61948-2 |
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DMITRI SHOSTAKOVICH Violin Concerto #1 in a, Op. 99 WARNER CLASSICS: 2564 62997-2 |
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BROWNS IN BLUE includes: RCA RED SEAL: 88697-11322-2 |
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NO BOUNDARIES includes: RCA RED SEAL: 82876-78719-2 |
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GEORGE ANTHEIL: Sonatas for Violin & Piano Mark Fewer, violinist AZICA: ACD-71263 |
John Novacek made his debut as soloist in the Brahms Second and took 1785 concertgoers on a wild, exciting ride. Notorious for its difficulty, both for pianist and orchestra, the concerto posed no problems for Novacek. By turns pummeling and caressing the keyboard, he entered into the lengthy discussion between piano and orchestra with ferocious good humor and infectious excitement. Novacek earned the lengthy standing ovation that rewarded his performance - he had grappled with a worthy opponent and proved himself its master. He had entered fully into Brahms’s experience of life itself and acted as a lens for its expression, ably aided and abetted by [Kevin] Rhodes and his SSO colleagues.
THE REPUBLICAN (Springfield, MA)
Springfield Symphony Orchestra launches 76th season [headline]
Pianist John Novacek made his second appearance with the SSO as soloist in Rachmaninoff’s Concerto No. 1 in F-sharp. Novacek tore into the grand gestures and fusillades of passagework in the concert’s outer movements with dexterity and gusto. He wove filmy, dreamlike textures in the slow movement, engaging in languid romantic dialogs with the strings and a lovely, brief duet with the first bassoon. Novacek rewarded the audience’s appreciation with an encore of his own composition - a rag entitled Intoxication. Played at blinding speed and shot through with clever stride syncopations, the piece was thoroughly intoxicating, and indeed, as dazzling as the Concerto.
THE REPUBLICAN (Springfield, MA)
John Novacek juxtaposes some very serious Mozart with his lighter side. He approaches all of this music with consummate control and grace and a tonal luminosity that serves the composer well. A fine recital, enhanced by excellent sonics.
AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE
Novacek’s contributions cannot be exaggerated. His partnering [with violinist Leila Josefowicz] is at once brilliant and unobtrusive; without slighting any musical values, he underplays handsomely while accomplishing technical feats many pianists can’t even consider: varieties of touch, a huge dynamic range, nuances of statement and the bold use of all his pianistic resources within the parameters imposed by the genre.
LOS ANGELES TIMES
In terms of repertoire, performance and production values, this is a fine release. Novacek possesses a virile, steely technique that matches this material splendidly. Novacek’s style is athletic, but he is certainly capable of poetic playing when it is called for. In short, here is a splendid recital from a pianist well worth keeping an ear open for in the future.
FANFARE
John Novacek performed Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3. Novacek’s marvelous touch was evident from the start, his flawless legato singing through the piano’s opening theme. A superb technique is required for this most difficult of the Rachmaninov concerti and Novacek displayed his fully along with his unfailing musicality, moving with ease through the concerto’s difficult passage work as well as its simpler themes.
SAN BERNARDINO SUN
[Elliott Carter’s] Sonata was written just before he began writing five decades of the most conceptually and technically challenging repertoire that any major composer has ever put before the public. Expertly performed by pianist John Novacek, the Sonata is a glorious work, though by no means easy listening. It would make a good entry point into Carter’s musical universe.
THE OTTAWA CITIZEN
More than half the 23 rags on ‘Novarags’ are John Novacek’s original compositions or arrangements; at his best, he rivals some of William Bolcom’s superb contributions to this literature. Both the performances and the audio quality are excellent. There’s quite an emotional spectrum here, too, from the wildly irrepressible to the thoughtful and nostalgic, and that toe-tapping impulse you’ll always fine in good ragtime.
THE SEATTLE TIMES
There is hardly a more athletic concerto than the [Prokofiev] Third and that’s saying something. Novacek laid into the keys with a touch of radioactivity, and drove the Scotia Festival Orchestra with furious intensity, playing the syncopated chords in the second movement like a jazz pianist, triggering them off just that split second early that threatens to crack the firmament - and twisting them with gut-wrenching body language to boot.
THE CHRONICLE HERALD (Halifax)
The performance on this CD by violinist Mark Fewer and pianist John Novacek is first rate. Both artists convey the versatility, intensity and dynamism inherent in Antheil’s eclectic style. Fewer and Novacek switch effortlessly from the primal pounding rhythms inspired by Stravinsky, which obviously require much stamina, to the pastiche of ragtime, vaudeville, tango, tin pan alley, fox trot and jazz. With incisive and well-muscled playing, they captivate the difficult effects required in Antheil’s compositions. The range of both instruments are pushed to the limit—hand clusters and glissandi on the piano, and unconventional sound effects, including arpeggiated chords played percussively behind the bridge and non-pitched scratches from the violin. For sheer virtuosity and panache, this recording is a towering achievement.
CHAMBER MUSIC TODAY
Saturday’s concert offered another world premiere, John Novacek’s cello sonata called Sounding Piece. Novacek’s last movement is unusually quiet, as though [the composer] mistrusted the easy thrill of ending with a bang. Novacek’s 35-minute piece with a hectic, assertive cluster of jazzy elements was played with brio by the composer and cellist Michelle Djokic. The stinging dissonances were refreshing, and the hymn-like final movement left in its wake a shared silence as beautiful as any music.
THE TRIBUNE (San Luis Obispo, CA)
A triumphant opening for Mimir Chamber Music Festival
The Mimir Chamber Music Festival pretty reliably warrants a place in The News’ list of the year’s top 10 classical concerts. Thursday night’s all-Beethoven program has to be a shoo-in for 2012. Novacek didn’t let a note go by on auto-pilot. The piano darted in and out of the ensemble, rose in passion and receded in deference, all to apt effect. There was plenty of playfulness, yet authority where called for.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
A compelling duo runs the gamut from Schumann to Adams [headline]
The duo carried off this London recital with huge panache and professional energy. Theirs has become a seasoned and secure musical partnership; their ways of working together are now completely attuned. [Leila Josefowicz] has the freedom to be impulsive, explosive, coquettish, to go anywhere. [John Novacek] can support, change the backdrop, challenge and provoke her. It was a compelling performance from first note to last.
THE ARTS DESK (London, UK)
This recording [Chausson Concert in D for Violin, Piano & String Quartet] is from now on the new reference point, along with Perlman, Bolet and the Juilliard.
SCHERZO Magazine
| 9/1/2023 (7:30pm) | MIMIR CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL (Australia) Hanson Dyer Hall, Ian Potter Southbank Centre (Melbourne) Shostakovich: Piano Quintet |
| 9/3/2023 (4pm) | MIMIR CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL (Australia) Hanson Dyer Hall, Ian Potter Southbank Centre (Melbourne) Esmail: Piano Trio |
| 9/30/2023 (7:30pm) | BARRIE CONCERTS (ON, Canada) Hiway Pentecostal Church Gilliland: Spirit 20 |
| 10/1/2023 (3&7:30m) | THE LOFT (Sault Ste. Marie, ON, Canada) Algoma Conservatory of Music Gilliland: Spirit 20 |
| 10/10/2023 (1:30pm) | MUSIC AT OAKMONT (Santa Rosa, CA) Berger Center Auditorium with Alexander String Quartet |
| 10/15/2023 (5pm) | DOYLESTOWN CHAMBER MUSIC GROUP (PA) private home R. Schumanm: Kreisleriana |
| 10/21/2023 (7:30pm) | WHITE ROCK CONCERTS (Surrey, BC, Canada) White Rock Baptist Church Elgar: Salut d’amour |
| 10/26/2023 (7pm) | THE SANDBOX (Sand City, CA) C. Schumann: 3 Romances, Op. 11 |
| 10/28/2023 (7:30pm | FESTIVAL MOZAIC (San Luis Obispo, CA) Harold J. Miossi Cultural & Performing Arts Center, Cuesta Elgar: Salut d’amour |
| 10/29/2023 (2&5pm) | FESTIVAL MOZAIC Libretto Jazz Club (Paso Robles, CA) |
| 11/12/2023 (3pm) | CONCORDIA CHAMBER PLAYERS Trinity Episcopal Church (Solebury, PA) Still: Vignettes |
| 12/1/2023 (7pm) | BARGEMUSIC The Barge (Brooklyn, NY) Schumann: Kreisleriana |
| 1/22/2024 (7:30pm) | OLMOS ENSEMBLE (San Antonio, TX) Shepherd King Lutheran Church Schroeder: Piano Trio #2 |
| 2/23/2024 (7:30pm) | FESTIVAL MOZAIC Templeton Performing Arts Center (CA) Debussy: Violin Sonata |
| 2/24/2024 (7:30pm) | SAN FRANCISCO PERFORMANCES (CA) Herbst Theatre, War Memorial Building Debussy: Violin Sonata |
| 2/25/2024 (4pm) | UCSB ARTS & LECTURES (Santa Barbara, CA) Hahn Hall, Music Academy of the West Debussy: Violin Sonata |
| 2/28/2024 (8pm) | LOS ANGELES PHILHARMONIC COLBURN CELEBRITYRECITAL (CA) Walt Disney Concert Hall Debussy: Violin Sonata |
| 3/9/2024 (7:30pm) | VISTA PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA Bruce Hangen, conductor Brahms: Piano Concerto #2 |
| 4/14/2024 (3pm) | CHICAGO SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (IL) Mandell Hall, University Theater Haydn: Piano Trio #39 |
| 4/20/2024 (7:30pm) | ANDERSON SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (IN) Richard Sowers, conductor Rachmaninoff: Piano Concerto #2 |
| 5/7/2024 (7pm) | COLORADO COLLEGE SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL Packard Hall (Colorado Springs) with Intersection |
| 5/27/2024 (7:30pm) | SCOTIA FESTIVAL OF MUSIC (Halifax, NS, Canada) The Joseph Strug Concert Hall, Dalhousie Arts Centre Mendelssohn: Piano Trio #2 |
| 5/28/2024 (7:30pm) | SCOTIA FESTIVAL OF MUSIC (Halifax, NS, Canada) The Joseph Strug Concert Hall, Dalhousie Arts Centre “J.S. Bach’s Long Walk in the Snow” |
| 5/29/2024 (7:30pm) | SCOTIA FESTIVAL OF MUSIC (Halifax, NS, Canada) The Joseph Strug Concert Hall, Dalhousie Arts Centre Chopin: Polonaise-fantaisie (solo piano) |
| 5/30/2024 (7:30pm) | SCOTIA FESTIVAL OF MUSIC (Halifax, NS, Canada) The Joseph Strug Concert Hall, Dalhousie Arts Centre Schumann: Märchenerzählungen |
| 5/31/2024 (7:30pm) | SCOTIA FESTIVAL OF MUSIC (Halifax, NS, Canada) The Joseph Strug Concert Hall, Dalhousie Arts Centre Schoenfield: Café Music |
| 6/2/2024 (2:30pm) | SCOTIA FESTIVAL OF MUSIC (Halifax, NS, Canada) The Joseph Strug Concert Hall, Dalhousie Arts Centre Novacek: 4 Rags |
| 6/17/2024 (7pm) | COLORADO COLLEGE SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL (Colorado Springs) Packard Hall (Colorado Springs) Kapustin: Trio |
| 6/20/2024 (5:45pm) | COLORADO COLLEGE SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL (Colorado Springs) Packard Hall (Colorado Springs) Larsen: Four on the Floor |
| 6/21/2024 (7pm) | COLORADO COLLEGE SUMMER MUSIC FESTIVAL (Colorado Springs) Packard Hall (Colorado Springs) Bunch: commissioned work (world premiere) |
| 6/21-30/2024 | ST. LAWRENCE STRING QUARTET CHAMBER MUSIC SEMINAR Stanford University (Palo Alto, CA) |
| 7/1-12/2024 | MIMIR CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL (Fort Worth, TX) PepsiCo Recital Hall, Texas Christian University |
| 7/17-27/2024 | FESTIVAL MOZAIC (San Luis Obispo, CA) |
| 7/18/2024 (5:30pm) 7/19/2024 (7:30pm) |
FESTIVAL MOZAIC (San Luis Obispo, CA) Harold J. Miossi Cultural & Performing Arts Center, Cuesta College Sibelius: Piano Quintet |
| 7/23/2024 (12pm) | FESTIVAL MOZAIC (San Luis Obispo, CA) venue, tbd Valentini: Cello Sonata |
| 7/26/2024 (12pm) | FESTIVAL MOZAIC (San Luis Obispo, CA) Harold J. Miossi Cultural & Performing Arts Center, Cuesta College Brahms: 3 Hungarian Dances |
| 7/26/2024 (7:30pm) | FESTIVAL MOZAIC (San Luis Obispo, CA) Harold J. Miossi Cultural & Performing Arts Center, Cuesta College Rossini/Krug: Barber of Seville Fantasie |
| 7/31/2024 (7pm) | WISCONSIN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA Andrew Sewell, conductor Gershwin: Rhapsody in Blue |
| 8/24/2024 | MIMIR CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL (Australia) Hanson Dyer Hall, Ian Potter Southbank Centre (Melbourne) |
| 9/21/2024 | WIGMORE HALL (London, UK) Debussy: Violin Sonata |
| 3/8/2025 (7:30pm) | SAN LUIS OBISPO SYMPHONY (CA) Andrew Sewell, conductor Brahms: Piano Concerto #2 |
| 4/25/2025 (7:30pm) | WISCONSIN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA (Madison) Andrew Sewell, conductor Brahms: Piano Concerto #1 |
| 5/4/2025 | CHAMBER MUSIC SOCIETY OF BETHLEHEM (PA) with Intersection |
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Mozart: Rondo in a, K. 511 |
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Novacek: Intoxication Rag |
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Novacek: 4th Street Drag |
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Schubert: Piano Sonata in c, D. 958 (mvt. II: Adagio) |
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Liszt: Liebestraum #3 |
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Mozart: Piano Sonata #9 in D, K. 311 (mvt. I: Allegro con spirito) |
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John Novacek’s YouTube Channel |