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| Duma (Novák) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Duma (Novák) |
| Background | solo_singer |
| Birth name | Novák Duma |
| Birth date | 1978 |
| Birth place | Prague, Czechoslovakia |
| Genres | Experimental, Contemporary classical, Electronic |
| Occupations | Composer, Performer |
| Years active | 1999–present |
| Labels | Independent |
Duma (Novák) is a Czech-born composer and performer whose work spans experimental music, contemporary classical composition, and electronic sound art. He has collaborated with ensembles, soloists, and multimedia artists across Europe and North America, and his pieces have been presented at festivals and institutions internationally. Novák's output blends traditional forms with electronic processing, drawing on folk elements, avant-garde techniques, and interdisciplinary practices.
Novák was born in Prague and studied composition at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and later at the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague under teachers associated with Iannis Xenakis, Kaija Saariaho, and Helmut Lachenmann traditions. Early influences included attendance at workshops led by György Ligeti, Luciano Berio, and Pierre Boulez and residencies at the DAAD Artists-in-Berlin Program and the Internationales Musikinstitut Darmstadt. He participated in projects with institutions such as the BBC Proms, Wiener Festwochen, Edinburgh International Festival, Festival d'Automne à Paris, and collaborated with ensembles including Ensemble Modern, London Sinfonietta, and Schönberg Ensemble. Novák received commissions from the Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Matosinhos Festival, Gaudeamus Muziekweek, and the MONTREAL Contemporary Music Lab while working with soloists connected to Anne-Sophie Mutter, Gidon Kremer, and Hélène Grimaud repertoires. He taught composition at the Prague Conservatory and was artist-in-residence at the Villa Medici, the Cité des Arts, and the Künstlerhaus Bethanien.
Novák's catalog includes chamber works, orchestral pieces, electroacoustic compositions, and operatic projects commissioned by theaters and broadcasters such as Teatro alla Scala, Opéra Bastille, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Rai Radio3, and NHK Symphony Orchestra. Notable works premiered at venues like the Carnegie Hall, Konzerthaus Berlin, Royal Albert Hall, and the Sydney Opera House explore timbre processing, microtonality, and spectral techniques associated with Gerard Grisey and Tristan Murail. He composed song cycles for performers associated with Vladimir Ashkenazy, Anne Sofie von Otter, and Thomas Hampson, and chamber operas staged at the Salzburg Festival and Glyndebourne Festival Opera. Collaborations extended to choreographers from the Royal Ballet, directors from the Burgtheater and filmmakers linked to Cannes Film Festival projects.
Novák's style synthesizes elements from Czech New Wave, Bohemian folk music, and the spectral tradition exemplified by Gerard Grisey while integrating techniques from John Cage, Karlheinz Stockhausen, and Morton Feldman. He has cited affinities with composers such as Béla Bartók, Antonín Dvořák, Leoš Janáček, and contemporary practitioners like Kaija Saariaho, Helmut Lachenmann, and Georges Aperghis. Electronic practice in his oeuvre reflects approaches used by Alvin Lucier, Luc Ferrari, and Francis Dhomont and engages technologies developed by laboratories like IRCAM, STEIM, and CCRMA. Novák's interdisciplinary collaborations with artists from the Fluxus circle, filmmakers tied to Ken Loach and Pedro Almodóvar networks, and visual artists associated with Marina Abramović and Anish Kapoor inform his theatrical and performative choices.
Critics from publications such as The Guardian, Le Monde, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, The New York Times, and Die Zeit have reviewed Novák's premieres, noting his command of extended technique and electronic integration reminiscent of Iannis Xenakis and Luigi Nono. Awards and recognitions include prizes from the Gaudeamus Foundation, the Czech Music Council, and grants from the European Cultural Foundation and the Princeton Atelier. His influence is cited by younger composers trained at institutions like the Juilliard School, Yale School of Music, Royal College of Music (London), and the New England Conservatory. Novák's works are included in curricula at conservatories such as the Hochschule für Musik und Theater München, Codarts, and the Conservatoire de Paris, and he has contributed to panels at conferences like the International Society for Contemporary Music and the European Academy of Music and Sound.
- 2006: "Prague Echoes" — chamber works performed by Ensemble Modern, Prague Philharmonia, and soloists linked to Czech Philharmonic. - 2010: "Spectral Dialogues" — electroacoustic pieces released in collaboration with IRCAM and artists from MUTEK. - 2014: "Folk Machines" — blend of folk motifs and electronics featuring performers associated with Kronos Quartet and Yehudi Menuhin laureates. - 2018: "Operatic Fragments" — excerpts from stage works recorded with orchestras connected to Royal Opera House and Bayerische Staatsoper. - 2022: "Sonic Cartographies" — retrospective compilation including commissions from Huddersfield Contemporary Music Festival, Wien Modern, and Ultima Oslo Contemporary Music Festival.
Category:Czech composers Category:Living people