Program
Bedřich Smetana: Czech Dances (selection)
F. Liszt: Cantique d'amour S. 173, no. 10
F. Liszt: Polonaise no. 2, S 223
L. Janáček: Sonata 1. X. 1905 "From the Street"
B. Smetana / M. Novák: Vltava

Artist
Matyáš Novák has made a name for himself as one of the most promising pianists of his time through his extraordinary harmonic expression, vast repertoire, and unique way of keystroking.

Born in Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, Matyáš began studying piano at the age of five. He graduated from the Imola International Piano Academy in 2022, where he studied with Boris Petrushansky. He previously studied at Pardubice Conservatoire in the Czech Republic under Jitka Fowler Fraňková. Currently, Matyáš is attending the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, specifically the class conducted by prof. Ivan Klánský.

Matyáš has performed throughout his native Czech Republic, Germany, Austria, Poland, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Serbia, Italy, Norway,Sweden, Denmark, Holland, France, Thailand and the USA. Between 2015 and 2016 he undertook two successful concert tours in China.

In 2017, Matyáš made his debut at Carnegie Hall in New York. That same year, he released his first album, "Franz Liszt: Années de pèlerinage: Première année: Suisse," and was one of three musicians to receive the CME International Performing Arts Grant from the Center for Musical Excellence in New Jersey. In May 2021, the classical record label Nimbus Alliance released his CD featuring Mozart's Piano Concertos K. 413, K. 414, K. 415, recorded in collaboration with the world-famous Wihan Quartet. In 2024, he released his third album, "Franz Liszt / Franz Schubert: Schwanengesang."

Matyáš has won prizes in numerous prestigious international competitions, including the XX Paloma O'Shea Santander International Piano Competition, the 16th International Edvard Grieg Piano Competition in Bergen, the Bradshaw & Buono International Piano Competition (USA), the Evangelia Tjiarri International Piano Competition in Larnaca, and the Jenö Takács Klavierwettbewerb (Austria).

He has appeared as a soloist with orchestras such as the RTVE Symphony Orchestra, the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra, the Brno Philharmonic Orchestra, the Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Prague Philharmonia, the Janáček Philharmonic Orchestra the Hradec Králové Philharmonic Orchestra, the Pardubice Chamber Philharmonic Orchestra, the West Bohemian Symphony Orchestra, the Bohuslav Martinů Philharmonic Orchestra, the Chamber Orchestra Quattro, the Orchestra da Camera di Imola, the Prague Chamber Orchestra, the Janáček Chamber Orchestra, the Karlovy Vary Symphony Orchestra, Barocco sempre giovane among others, and has performed in venues such as Weill Recital Hall (New York), Rudolfinum Hall (Prague), National Library of China (Beijing), Bohemian National Hall (New York), TivoliVredenburg Hall (Utrecht).

Previous engagements included performances in festivals at home and abroad: Znojmo Music Festival (Czech Republic, 2010), South Bohemian Festival Concertino Praga (Czech Republic, 2012, 2013, 2015), Broumov´s Searching Treasures (Czech Republic, 2013, 2020), II Festival internacional de música de Sóller (Spain, 2014), Junior Academy Eppan (Italy, 2015), Imola Summer Piano Academy & Festival (Italy, 2015), Ibiza International Music Festival (Spain, 2015, 2017), International Music Festival Young Prague (Czech Republic, 2015), Monastic Music Festivals (Czech Republic, 2017, 2018), Chopin Festival Mariánské Lázně (Czech Republic, 2017), International Festival Pardubice Music Spring (Czech Republic, 2018), Talentinum Zlín (Czech Republic, 2018), Vienna Concerto Fest (Austria, 2018), the Winter Chamber Music Festival in Røros (Norway, 2019), International Music Festival Prague Spring (Czech Republic, 2019), Bratislava Music Festival (Slovakia, 2019), Bangkok International Piano Festival 2019 (Thailand, 2019), Smetana´s Litomyšl (2021), Lednice-Valtice Music Festival (Czech Republic, 2023).

He regularly participates in masterclasses with renowned pianists such as D. Alexeev, V. Askhenazy, D. Bashkirov, A. Bonatta, J. Dvarionas, G. Gruzman, L. Howard, I. Klánský, D. Kuyken, A. Kouyoumdjian, A. Lonquich, and L. Margarius.

Matyáš is a versatile artist, sought-after chamber player and accompanist, a member of PETROF Art Family, and a big railroad enthusiast