{"id":117133,"date":"2025-08-29T14:40:33","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T18:40:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/?p=117133"},"modified":"2025-09-02T02:00:02","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T06:00:02","slug":"interview-composer-frank-horvat-talks-banff-suite","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ludwig-van.com\/toronto\/2025\/08\/29\/interview-composer-frank-horvat-talks-banff-suite\/","title":{"rendered":"INTERVIEW | Composer Frank Horvat Talks About The Banff Suite"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"L:
L: Pianist Vicky Chow (Photo: Kaitlin Jane Photography); R: Composer Frank Horvat (Photo: Anita Zvonar)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Composer Frank Horvat\u2019s upcoming release The Banff Suite<\/strong> is a love letter to the Canadian Rockies, celebrating a variety of landscapes from lakes to mountain tops. The album\u2019s theme comes as no surprise to anyone who is familiar with Horvat\u2019s work, which often focuses on nature, the environment, and environmental issues.<\/p>\n

The project stems from a Banff residency that Horvat undertook in 2021. Recorded with pianist Vicky Chow<\/strong>, the album releases on Redshift Records on September 12, 2025<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\"Sacred
Sacred Guardian Buffalo Mountain, Alberta (Photo: Frank Horvat)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Frank Horvat: The Interview<\/h2>\n

The music on the release was composed in a spirit of spontaneity, but the process had been mapped out in advance.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis was planned when I did my application for the residency,\u201d Horvat explains of the project. \u201cIt had always been a dream of mine to visit Banff.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before going in 2021, he talked to friends who loved hiking. \u201cThat\u2019s all they talk about is the nature there,\u201d he says. It led to his proposal. \u201cWhy don\u2019t I plan to compose this music while I\u2019m there?\u201d he wondered.<\/p>\n

It ended up as an organic way of working. \u201cWe would do a day hike, and we\u2019d come back,\u201d he explains. He\u2019d begin to compose music almost immediately. \u201cI might start the next day.\u201d<\/p>\n

The location, and a beautiful studio where he could soak up the view, added to the experience. \u201cI\u2019d spend three, four days,\u201d he adds. \u201cI really dove in.\u201d He\u2019d go straight to the piece itself, not sketching out ideas or snippets first. \u201c80 to 90 percent of what you hear on the album is what I did in that moment.\u201d<\/p>\n

During his four-week residency, he composed eight pieces. He enjoyed the discipline and sense of routine from both a physical and creative perspectiv.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019d never done anything like that,\u201d he said. He\u2019d received invitations to similar projects, but not in the same specific and detailed manner.<\/p>\n

What he saw, and how he felt, became music.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe titles of the eight pieces in the Suite are the locations,\u201d he explains. Those names include Sulphur Mountain, Sundance Canyon, In Town, Bow River.<\/p>\n

A typical tourist view of Banff focuses primarily on mountains, but the time he spent there gave Horvat the opportunity to explore it in depth. Some of his walks took him through the town, and some locations were quite remote, with no other people in sight.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou really notice the subtleties,\u201d Frank says. \u201cIt was a really big mix.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Lake
Lake Louise, Alberta (Photo: Frank Horvat)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Eight Walks Through Banff<\/h3>\n

\u201cAs much as I love routine, I love the discipline of composing music \u2014 I\u2019ll be honest, it started to take a toll,\u201d Horvat admits. The music reflects his ups and downs. \u201cThey\u2019re not all inspiring.\u201d<\/p>\n

The hikes included walking the area\u2019s mountain ranges, and physical exhaustion overcame him on one of those occasions. The mood became part of the music. His goal was to capture his reactions with a sense of immediacy. \u201cTo reflect that time and space,\u201d he says. \u201cI really wanted it to be reflective.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cEven though I\u2019m calling it the Banff Suite, they are really eight independent pieces that stand on their own,\u201d he says. The Suite has a kind of overarching story, but each of the pieces within it also contain their own narrative.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne piece can tell a very specific story.\u201d<\/p>\n