Janoska Ensemble
New directions in music are currently trending under imaginative names, with fusion and crossovercategories constantly expanding. However, the classically trained Janoska Ensemble transcends allboundaries with its polyglot musical language. Their debut CD, which climbed to gold status within a fewmonths, bears the apt titleJANOSKA STYLE(Deutsche Grammophon 2016). Their 2019 albumREVOLUTIONalso reached gold status. In 2022, album No. 3 entitledTHE BIG B’swas released. Thefourth Deutsche Grammophon albumTHE FOUR SEASONSis in preparation (release October 2024).
Summarizing the special quality of the Janoska arrangements in a few words is no easy task: they areparallel incursions into classical territory and into far-distant realms of musical repertoire, where themusicians exercise their spontaneous creativity to fashion first-class, innovative, thrilling music thatlives and breathes. These incomparably audience-friendly transformations are the work of threebrothers from Bratislava–Ondrej and Roman Janoska playing violins and František Janoska at the piano–together with their Konstanz-born brother-in-law Julius Darvas on double bass. Both families share along tradition of musicianship. The Janoskas have been making music for six generations, while JuliusDarvas builds on three generations and more of doublebass playing. Another quality shared by theensemble’s members is a first-rate classical education and prize-winning solo achievements. Inrecognition of their outstanding musical achievements, the ensemble was honored with the Slovakiannational prize, the “Crystal Wing Award”, in 2023.
Selectively enriching their programs, often with evocative titles, their own compositions serve asemotional visiting cards that shed light on the personalities of these outstanding artists. In their ownindividual styles, the four musicians express their love of improvisation with enthusiastic abandon andconsummate virtuosity, rewarded by rapturous applause from discerning audiences on four continents.The Janoska Ensemble is–in pop jargon–a “live band”. The emotional intelligence and subtle humor of the artists’ interaction with their audience, combined with their masterfully staged play on familiarmelodies and surprise effects in their newly created musical numbers, can be relied upon to stir listenersfrom their seats, almost invariably resulting in enthusiastic standing ovations
Their Janoska Style, theirnever merely superficial virtuosity, and their ability to engage with one another and their audience inquick-fire musical dialogue have brought invitations from big-name stage personalities suchas AnnaNetrebko, Al Jarreau, Bobby McFerrin, Juan Diego Flórez, Brian McKnight, Julian Rachlin, RandyNewman, Biréli Lagrène, and Lalo Schifrin.
Despite their full calendar of engagements and tours, the Janoska Ensemble transmits an inexhaustiblepassion for making music. The four musicians are constantly working on new programs and projects.Their unique “Janoska Style” forms the basis for all that is yet to come, representing the seal of approvalfor one of the most thrilling and universal music ensembles of the present day.
It takes more than one sentence to describe what exactly constitutes the Janoska style–simply listingall its biographical and artistic ingredients would take too long and wouldn’t do it justice. But what is itexactly? Classical works in new arrangements, influences that extend into today’s music! One keyelement is the lost art of improvisation, especially based on classical music. The Janoska Ensemblecreates new, never-before-heard synergies, bridges between the original and its modern interpretationpaired with a fusion of improvisation and creativity: in short, the Janoska style.
The four members of the Janoska Ensemble completely fulfilall the criteria of the “Janoska Style”: A solidclassical education, decades of playing practice from childhood, a deeply rooted musical tradition, thehighest level of technical perfection, and a deep joy of playing and performing, including the art offreeimprovisation. All this makes the ensemble more than the sum of its parts; rather, it is a perfectly well-balanced musical family of sorts. The man on the double bass, Julius Darvas, doubles as the program’sMC. He describes the “Janoska effect”, as he calls the interaction during a concert, as follows: “The moodof the audience has a direct effect on our enthusiasm for playing, especially when it comes toimprovisation: We give-we receive-we give more-we receive more… and it goes on and on. Then theenergy begins to circulate properly in the concert hall!”
The Janoska Ensemble is also in a kind of continuous “improvisation mission” in terms of workshops andmaster classes: This teaching activity led the four musicians, among others to the Kronberg Academy orto the Menuhin Festival in Gstaad. The reactions of the course participants were euphoric throughout:The collaboration with the Janoska Ensemble–so their general opinion-gave them much moreconfidenceto improvise freely in the classic context.
Production team
Cast
When do we play?
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