John Franek

John Franek is an American pianist and composer. He has produced five electronic albums. Musical projects and compositions include: Aphoria Music, an ambient music label and platform launched in 2019, Baroquen (2018), for harpsichord/piano & electronics, and La Mer Dans Le Ciel (2018).
He has been awarded The Jacobs Music Steinway Award and First Place in The Symphony of Siberia Composition Competition (2017).
Life and Career
John Franek earned his Bachelors of Music degree from Westminster Choir College of Rider University in 2014, double majoring in Theory/ Composition, studying under the tutelage of Dr. Jay Kawarsky, and Piano, studying under the guidance of Phyllis Lehrer. In 2016, he created his first album, Night Music, a collection of original compositions premiered in 2015 and released on various music platforms in 2016. His second album, Valerian Music, premiered in July of 2015 and released digitally in May of 2016, as well as the composition, Inner Symmetries. In his second year of Undergraduate studies, he was a Finalist for The Pearl and Julius Young Music Competition, a competition for exceptional young Instrumentalists ages 16-22. His first publication, Cleveland Prelude, was published by ACME, Association of Creative Media Entrepreneurs, in 2016 followed by his first concerto, Piano Concerto No. 1, published by Firebird Music Publications in 2016.
He made his European debut after becoming a Finalist in The Siberian Symphony Composition Competition in 2017, with his piece, Mithridates, the fourth movement in his first symphony, A Portrait of Civilization: Symphony No. 1 for Orchestra. In that same year, he gave his South American debut in Quito, Ecuador at La Casa de la Música of Poema Doce, performing alongside the Ecuadorian soprano Andrea Salazar. In April of 2019, he had the opportunity to make his Czech Republic debut, having his fourth movement of his first Symphony, A Portrait of Civilization: Symphony No. 1 for Orchestra, performed by the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra. In February of this year, John Franek debuted his composition, Beton Ugolkí (for mixed quintet), in the UK with the Lontano Ensemble, a touring musical ensemble whose aim is to perform works of living composers, particularly of British, and Latin American culture. In addition, he has performed in New York City (US), Philadelphia (US), Strasbourg (France), Paris (France), Havana (Cuba), Krasnoyarsk (Russia), Rome (Italy) and Tashkent (Uzbekistan).
He currently runs his own publishing company, LiveWire Music Editions, as well as his own record label and music platform, Aphoria Music, and his is also published by various other publishing houses.
Albums
*Purely Mozart- 57 minutes w/ DoubleV Digital Recordings
*La Mer Dans Le Ciel- 53 Minutes
*Slower- 52 Minutes
*i have not seen as others saw
*Aphoria - Growing catalogue of ambient music
List of works
Orchestral
*Our Something Sky (for chamber orchestra with piano)
*Lament for Many Strings (for string orchestra) (2016) Premiered: First Presbyterian Church, Caldwell, New Jersey
*A Portrait of Civilization: Symphony No. 1 for Orchestra
:I: Euridice Collapse
:II: Ptolemy’s Visions of the Sphere
:III: The River of Silence
:IV: Mithridate Premiered and recorded by Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra
Operas
*Nous
*Oksidá
Concertante
*Affektenlehre
*Di Gotik Automaton
*2(C)-XLI
*Flute Concerto
*Oboe Concerto
*Clarinet Concerto
*Saxophone Concerto
*Bassoon Concerto
Chamber
*String Quartet No. 1 "Triptych"
*Chamber Hearts (for String Quintet) (2016) Premiered: Performing Arts Center, James Caldwell High School, Caldwell, New Jersey
*Concertino for Piano and String Quartet (2017) Premiered: Kimmel Center - Perelman Theatre, Philadelphia Pennsylvania
*Highland Concero (for recorder quintet, strings and harpsichord) (2017) Premiered: United Methodist Church, New Brunswick, New Jersey
*Beton Ugolkí (for mixed quintet" (Feb. 2020) Premier w/ Lontano Ensemble
Solo/Electronic
*Two Movements for Piano
*Random Access Klavier
*Rhythms of the Sphere
Pedagogical Works/Collections
*Note the Color (Vol. 1 & 2)
*Alexander's City
*Mozart's London Sketchbook
*Tall Tales
*Composer's Series
*(Upcoming 2020 NJMTA Commissioned Composer works TBA)
Vocal and Choral Works
*The Moon was in Her (SSSAAA acapella)
*L’infinito (for soprano and piano)
*Poema Doce (for soprano and piano) (2017) Premiered: La Casa de la Música, Quito - Ecuador
*Snowfall (for soprano and piano)
Carillon Works
*Cleveland Prelude (for carillon solo) (2014) Premiered: Cleveland Tower, Princeton, New Jersey
*Nocturne in Blue & Gold (for carillon four hands and electronics) (2017) Premiered: Cleveland Tower, Princeton, New Jersey
Film Scores
*Puzzles (Short Film)
*Return Safely (Short Film)
Non-Piano Solo Works
*Love; and It’s Dance (for oboe solo) (2016) Premiered: Bristol Chapel, Westminster Choir College
Publications
*Cleveland Prelude, published by ACME (Summer 2016)
*Piano Concerto No. 1, published by Firebird Music Publications (Winter 2016)
*Terpsichorean, published by Yale Guild of Carilloneurs in the collection: Music for an Elegant Evening (date T.B.A.)
*La Mer Dans Le Ciel, electroacoustic album published by Off-Record Label in Brussels, Belgium (Winter 2017)
*Slower, electroacoustic album by music duo Helix 2 published by Off-Record Label (Spring 2017)
*i have not seen as others saw, electroacoustic album published by Off-Record Label (Spring 2017)
*Note the Color: Volume 1, the first of a two-volume series of piano pieces, published by Alijam Music (Summer 2017)
*Highland Concerto, concerto grosso in the neo-baroque style for recorder quintet, strings and harpsichord. Published by the American Recorder Society (September 2017)
*Note the Color: Volume 2, the second of a two-volume series of piano pieces, published by Alijam Music (October 2017)
*I’m Sure You Can Imagine, electroacoustic EP published by Off-Record Label (October 2017)
*Alexander’s City, intermediate piano concerto for students, published by Alijam Music
*Purely Mozart: Solo album dedicated to selected works by W. A. Mozart (September 2019)
*Aphoria: Online ambient music platform and label (Launched October 2019)

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