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Jacob Beranek (b. 1998) is a composer and pianist from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. His music, rooted in melody and narrative structure, regularly emphasizes a unique perspective in honoring traditions—musical, religious, or even his own heritage. Beranek currently serves as the first-ever Composer-in-Residence of the Midsummer’s Music Festival, which has commissioned and premiered four new pieces to-date, including his Piano Trio No. 1, "Midsummer" (2020). Recent performances of his music have taken place in London, Prague, Nashville, and Philadelphia, and his work has also garnered international recognition in competitions such as the American Prize for Composition, ASCAP Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, Edwin Fissinger Choral Composition Prize, National Federation of Music Clubs Emil & Ruth Beyer Awards, and The Gesualdo Six Composition Competition, in which he received first place for ages 21-and-under worldwide.
In addition to composition, Beranek is a serious pianist and devotee of Czech music due to his heritage. He has had the privilege of studying music in Prague during visits in 2015 and 2017, and returned in November 2018 for the European premiere of his Památník: Memorial for Wind Ensemble at Prague Castle by the Band of the Castle Guards & Czech Police. Beranek has served as a Composition Fellow at the Talis Festival & Academy in Saas-Fee, Switzerland, and has also studied at the Curtis Institute of Music Young Artist Summer Program. He is pursuing a Bachelor of Music in Composition at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music, and currently studies with Dr. Michael Alec Rose. |
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Artist Statement
"Bohu díky," the Czech phrase meaning "Thanks be to God,"
can be found under the double barline at the end of all my pieces. This not only reflects my heritage, but more importantly, my deep trust and faith in God, which I pray guides every note I write. |
In all of my compositions, I strive to achieve one main goal: to uplift the audience. I believe that music should be a journey, an artistic narrative that will enlighten listeners with a sense of hope and direction. This is not to say that my work is programmatic or "happy" as a rule, but rather that I intend for every piece to communicate to performers and audiences in a way that meaningfully captures and carries their attention. I firmly trust in divine inspiration, and believe that it is my responsibility as an artist to share the products of this inspiration with others via my own hard work and skill. It is my conviction that music provides the most powerful, spiritual method of communication available, and it is through this that we can bring harmony into a dissonant world.
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