Lukáš Janata is a Czech composer, performer, and educator residing in San Francisco. His music has been widely performed in his native country and countries throughout the world. He has received numerous commissions, most notably from the San Francisco Symphony; New York Cantori (NYC); Bluven Duo (Switzerland); Punkt Contemporary Choir (Belgium); Aries Percussion Ensemble, and Jablonova Youth String Orchestra (Czech Republic). Lukáš serves on the Composition Faculty at The Walden School and SFCM Pre-College, and directs Mouthscape Choir at the SFCM Collegiate division. He received composer residencies at the ISCM's VICC, Sweden (2024) and IOCSF (2021).
Lukáš' music was recognized by the Highsmith Award for CATCH (2022) (symphonic orchestra) Southwest American Prize for BABEL (2018) (symphonic orchestra); Kühn Choir of Prague Award for Nová míza (2022) (SSAATTBB a cappella); International Composition Competition Riga for his Kyrie (2014) (mixed choir, piano, electronics); Czech Music Foundation Award (2017); Praemium Bohemiae (2015); or Prague Conservatoire Award with the premiere of his Sinfonia n.1 (2016).
His composition mentors include John Corigliano, David Conte (MM ’19, SFCM), and Otomar Kvěch (DiS (BA) ’17, Prague Conservatoire). He has participated in masterclasses with composers George Lewis, Allain Gaussin, Liviu Marinescu, Dimitris Maronidis, and Ériks Ešenvalds, and has collaborated with Nico Muhly, Ragnar Bohlin, Mark Shapiro, and others.
Apart from composing, he is deeply committed to uniting musical communities. He is the founder of Mouthscape Choir and co-founded Punkt in 2014, a contemporary chamber choir based at the Prague Conservatoire.
He sings with the San Francisco Symphony Chorus.
Courses Taught
- Mouthscape Choir
- Pre-College: Composition and Musicianship
Education
- MM, San Francisco Conservatory of Music
- BM, Prague Conservatoire
Ensembles
- San Francisco Symphony Chorus (2017-current)
- Punkt Choir (2014-2017)
- Aries Percussion ensemble (2008-2011)
Awards and Distinctions
- Highsmith Award for CATCH (2022)
- Kühn Choir of Prague Award for Nová míza (2022)
- International Society for Contemporary Music: Composer-in-Residence at VICC
What is your hometown?
Oldřichov v Hájích. Oh, you mean an actual town: Liberec, Czech Republic!
What is your favorite recording? Why?
Márta and György Kurtág playing Kurtág's Bach transcriptions. My absolute favorite is not an official release, but it is by Editio Musica Budapest (2016) three years before Márta's death. This recording absolutely takes my heart. Their synergy and absolute interdependence have been present throughout their releases with Kurtág's Játékok and first Bach's transcriptions (1997). György ever since added many to the collection and has given many incredible recitals along with his wife, Márta.
What are you passionate about outside of music?
Coffee, cultural acoustics, ancient history, long-route biking, board games, empathy.
Who were your major teachers?
"David Conte, Otomar Kvěch, and John Corigliano.
I also have much gratitude toward my Prague Conservatoire composer piano mentor, Jiří Holeňa, who helped me unravel thousands of layers in the music of Janáček as well as Dutilleux and always pushed me to discover some hidden gems along with frequent incredible and horrifying four-hand sight-reading sessions!"
What is a favorite quote that you repeatedly tell students?
"Art should comfort the disturbed, and disturb the comfortable." Cesar A. Cruz
What question do you wish students would ask sooner rather than later?
When is the deadline?
What was the defining moment when you decided to pursue music as a career?
When musical/auditory hallucinations started to deteriorate my academic focus early on. It is not severe, I only didn't know how to control it.
What was a turning point in your career?
The decision to pursue diversity of thought through leaving the comfort of home and studying in the United States, and persevering upon an early defining life challenge.
If you weren't a musician or teacher, what do you think you would be doing now?
On a broad question...: a firefighter? a lignuist? a rocket scientist?
What is your daily practice routine?
A routine doesn't do well for me as there is no fixed way to create either. So, part of my practice routine is planning early on how to disrupt the potential routine to stay alert and creative. But I do like to start slowly with a good select coffee early in the day.
A routine doesn't do well for me as there is no fixed way to create either. So, part of my practice routine is planning early on how to disrupt the potential routine to stay alert and creative. But I do like to start slowly with a good select coffee early in the day.
"Ah. C'est impossible. But to entertain this *hypothetically* non-sensical situation, let's roll with this (hi, future self):
Orlande de Lassus, György Ligeti, James Blake."
Please provide links to videos and/or online audio.
lukasjanata.cz/works