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Jacob Beranek (b. 1998) is a composer and pianist from Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. His compositions, praised for their melodic essence and craftsmanship, regularly emphasize a unique perspective in honoring traditions—musical, religious, or even his own heritage. Beranek currently serves as Composer-in-Residence for the Midsummer’s Music Festival, which has commissioned and premiered four new pieces.
Recent performances of Beranek’s music have taken place in London (The Gesualdo Six), Oxford (Oxford University Wind Orchestra), Prague (Band of the Castle Guards & Czech Police), Nashville (ALIAS Chamber Ensemble), and Philadelphia (Dolce Suono Ensemble). His work has garnered international recognition in competitions such as the American Prize for Composition, the National Federation of Music Clubs Beyer Awards, and The Gesualdo Six Composition Competition, in which he received first place for ages 21-and-under worldwide. Upcoming performance locations include Seoul, South Korea (Euterpe Wind Quintet); Berlin, Germany (Vanderbilt Musik Akademie); and Chicago (Chicago Philharmonic Chamber Series). Beranek is an alumnus of the Curtis Institute of Music Young Artist Summer Program and the National Federation of Music Clubs Junior Composers Institute, and has also served as a Composition Fellow at the Talis Festival & Academy in Saas-Fee, Switzerland. He is a dedicated scholar of Czech music due to his heritage, and was honored by the American ambassador to Czechia in 2018 during a performance of his music in Prague Castle for the country’s centenary celebration. Pursuing a B.M. in Composition at Vanderbilt University’s Blair School of Music, he currently studies with Dr. Michael Alec Rose. |
Artist Statement
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In all of my compositions, I strive to achieve one main goal: to uplift the audience and the performers. I believe that music should be a journey, a beacon of hope and direction, for all involved. This is not to say that my work is necessarily programmatic, nor does it mean I write exclusively "happy" music. Rather, in upholding a tradition of craftsmanship, I intend to convey that hope and direction by making every piece the best version of itself: music full of integrity and meaning for the audience and the performer alike.
I stress the performer's role, because I view them as co-creators, artists who bring my art to life. I am just as invested in writing music that is idiomatically challenging and edifying for the performers, as I am in writing music that will communicate to audiences. In fact, I believe a composer cannot have one without the other—for if the performer's time is wasted, the performance will not communicate; and if the audience is alienated, what use is a well-rehearsed performer? More than anything, though, it is my ardent wish to glorify God with what I write, to employ the gifts of the Creator in a creative way. Thus, it is my conviction that music provides the most powerful, spiritual method of communication available to me, and it is through this that I feel called to bring harmony into a dissonant world. |
"Bohu díky," the Czech phrase meaning "Thanks be to God," can be found at the end of all my pieces. This not only reflects my heritage, but also my Christian faith, which I pray guides every note I write.
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