Frank Horvat: Discovering Meaning and Fellowship Through Challenges

Conversations with Musicians, with Leah Roseman

02/03/24

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77m

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Frank Horvat is an acclaimed Canadian composer and pianist whose music has been featured on over 20 albums. In this episode you’ll hear how he has forged meaningful collaborations with a wide range of musicians internationally, and found and given solace to audiences through his focus on themes of mental health, the climate crisis, and social justice. We start this episode with his Arctic Circle Residency.

Frank Horvat is so prolific and involved in so many diverse projects, with music in many styles, that we could only focus on a few of his works in this podcast episode, including with the SHHH!!! Ensemble, the Odin Quartet, flutist Christopher Lee and soprano Meredith Hall. We talked about his Music for Self-Isolation, and his wonderful initiative, the Piano Therapy Virtual Tour, that pairs his music with his personal mental health challenges and coping strategies. I also asked him about The Green Keys Tour, in which he performed his work Earth Hour in dark halls across North America, travelling in a sustainable way. We also got into some of his current projects, Trees.Listen with Sharlene Wallace inspired by the work of Dr. Diana Beresford-Kroeger , and More Rivers, commissioned by Christina Petrowska Quilico and inspired by the work of Ann Southam.

I need the help of my listeners! https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman

Frank Horvat website: https://frankhorvat.com/

Follow this podcast on social media: https://linktr.ee/leahroseman

You can also watch this podcast on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/ViolinLessonOnline

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(02:22) Arctic Circle Residency

(15:00) SHHH!! Ensemble

Auditory Survey of the Last Days of the Holocene, creative process and excerpts

(24:51) Frank Horvat composing in different styles, finding new inspirations

(28:48) Music for Self-Isolation, music performed by Christopher Lee

(40:50) please support this podcast! Thanks

(41:26) Piano Therapy Virtual Tour, talking about mental health

(54:54) Odin quartet excerpt from the Four Seasons in High Park

(55:07) Frank’s start as a composer

(58:00) The Green Keys Tour

(01:01:13) excerpt Orbital Tour of CIties at Night from album Fractures with Meredith Hall

(01:04:140) new project Trees.Listen with Sharlene Wallace, Dr. Diana Beresford-Kroeger

(01:11:19) More Rivers, Christina Petrowska Quilico, Ann Southam

Previous Episode

Guy Donis: Banjo Adventurer

January 27, 2024

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99m

Guy Donis grew up in Belgium, where he had fallen in love with the banjo and proceeded to dedicate his life to it. In this episode, he describes how he taught himself 5 string banjo, learned about Bluegrass, and expanded his musical horizons by collaborating with jazz and classical musicians. He immigrated to Canada many years ago, and is well-known in the Montreal music scene. He has toured Canada extensively with Notre Dame de Grass and other bands, and in this episode he talks about his newest project, the Montreal Bluegrass League, and a track from their latest album is included in this podcast. Some tracks from his two trio albums are also included earlier in this episode, in which you can hear Guy’s progressive jazz-influenced original music.

Can you buy me a coffee to support this series? https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman Thanks so much!

Like all my episodes, the YouTube video, Transcript, and show notes are linked on my website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/guy-donis

Guy Donis website: https://www.guydonisbanjo.com/

Sign up for my weekly newsletter to get access to Sneak Peeks for upcoming episodes: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter

Follow the podcast on my socials: https://linktr.ee/leahroseman

Timestamps

(00:00) Intro

(02:03) Guy’s discovery of the banjo in Belgium

(04:35) Tchestou Guy Donis Trio from Paroles d’arbre

(04:40) banjo demo, evolution of bluegrass style

(21:12) Béla Fleck

(25:05) Paroles d’arbre album

(29:16) title track from Paroles d’arbre Guy Donis Trio

(33:51) Roots, Risks and Rêveries album Guy Donis Trio

(35:33) Grenouillages Guy Donis Trio

(36:36) Guy’s youth in Belgium, learning banjo

(45:47) could you buy me a coffee to support this series?

(46:26) the challenge of continuing to improve

(47:29) Sam Bush

(49:39) how Guy learned banjo and found his style

(54:04) decision to leave Belgium

(59:49) Tony Trischka, Béla Fleck, networking challenges, focus in playing

(01:06:36) the Montreal Bluegrass League

(01:14:59) career choices

(01:19:46) teaching banjo

(01:23:59) Guy’s banjo Nechville Phantom

(01:29:49) the Montreal Bluegrass League album, intro to One Way Track

(01:31:51) One Way Track with the Montreal Bluegrass League

(01:34:05) love for winter in Quebec as an immigrant from Belgium

(01:36:04) distractions of the internet

(01:38:05) learning music therapeutic

photo of Guy Donis: David Roseman

Next Episode

Chuck Copenace Healing and Community

February 10, 2024

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99m

Chuck Copenace is a Winnipeg-based Ojibway musician and we talk about Chuck’s excellent album Oshki Manitou, which expands his work as a trumpet player, arranger, and composer. He’s woven together ceremonial sweat-lodge melodies with jazz, funk, dance and electronica and this episode features tracks from that album. He’s such a powerfully lyrical trumpet player, and you’ll be deeply touched to hear his inspiring story of moving through trauma and addiction to helping others through counseling and music. Chuck talked to me about his experience of growing up Indigenous, how intergenerational trauma from the residential schools affected his life, and how he was able to get sober and find healing in Indigineous ceremonial traditions. You’ll hear about his university experience at Brandon university studying with Alan Ehnes, how he became a counselor through the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba, and found his way back to a life in music. He spoke of his hope for the future of Indigenous youth, working with Julia Keefe’s Indigenous Big Band, and his upcoming projects. Please check out Chuck’s website: https://www.chuckcopenace.com/

Can you help support this series? I really do need the help of my listeners to keep this going: ⁠https://ko-fi.com/leahroseman⁠ Thanks!

Like all my episodes, this is also available as a video on my YouTube, and the transcript is linked as well to my podcast website: https://www.leahroseman.com/episodes/chuck-copenace

You can sign up here for my newsletter and get access to Sneak Peeks for upcoming guests: https://mailchi.mp/ebed4a237788/podcast-newsletter

My Linktree for social media: https://linktr.ee/leahroseman

Timestamps:

(00:00) Intro

(02:16) Creator, getting back to music, sweat lodge ceremony

(06:26) Creator from Oshki Manitou

(10:26) learning ceremonial songs, recording the album

(14:12) Indian Act, suppression of Indigenous spiritual and cultural practices like the sweat lodge

(15:45) intro to Nothing Simple

(17:03) Nothing Simple live video from Revelstoke

(21:36) Indigenous peoples in Winnipeg

(22:56) the origin of Oshki Manitou