Nicolas Horvath (born 11 August 1977) is a French pianist and electroacoustic composer.
Education
At 10, Nicolas Horvath was selected for a program initiated by Monaco's Princess Grace for children with musical predispositions. He received the Academie de Musique Prince Rainier III Prize unanimously with the congratulations of the jury.
At the age of 15, during an Academie de Musique Prince Rainier III competition, he was discovered by the conductor Lawrence Foster who obtained a scholarship from Princess Grace Foundation allowing him to work for three consecutive summers at Aspen Music Festival and School with Gabriel Chodos. On his return, he worked for two years with Gérard Frémy who introduced him to contemporary music.
In 1998, he joined the École Normale de Musique in Paris. Beginning in 2002 he worked for four years with Bruno Leonardo Gelber and Germaine Deveze who asked him not to give any concert or participate in any competition during his apprenticeship. Then he left l'École Normale. In 2004, he joined Gino Favotti's electroacoustic composition class where he received masterclasses from François Bayle and Christian Zanési and in 2006 Christine Groult's electroacoustic composition class.
From 2008 to 2011, he won numerous international competitions such as the Luigi Nono Competition, Alexander Scriabin, Osaka, Fukuoka, Yokohama. In 2010, he joined the Oxana Yablonskaya Piano School and The International Certificate for Piano Artists. Meetings with Leslie Howard, Gabriel Tacchino, Philippe Entremont, and Éric Heidsieck, mark his career.
Career Nicolas Horvath collaborates with composers such as Régis Campo, Denis Levaillant, Jaan Rääts, Tõnu Kõrvits, Alvin Curran, Fabio Mengozzi, William Susman, Alp Durmaz, Andre Bangambula Vindu, Mamoru Fujieda ... he ensures the creation of pieces of more than two hundred composers and more than a hundred pieces are dedicated to him. Nicolas Horvath also plays little-known works such as Franz Liszt's Christus, Claude Debussy's The Fall of the House of Usher, the complete version of Erik Satie's The Son of the Stars as well as forgotten, neglected composers such as Moondog, Hélène de Montgeroult, Ludovic Lamothe, Jacques Champion de Chambonnières, Friedrich Kalkbrenner, Élisabeth Jacquet de La Guerre, Nobuo Uematsu, Charles-Valentin Alkan, Karl August Hermann...
Nicolas Horvath stands out by organizing marathon concerts such as Erik Satie's Vexations which he performed 12 times alone and without any stop or break, the Nights of Minimalist Piano and the complete Erik Satie or Philip Glass piano music.
On April 21, 2012, with Andrea Clanetti Santarossa, they did in Monaco's Entrepot Gallery the very first Monacan happening on La Monte Young music. Some of the audience was scandalized by it and left the gallery shouting.
On December 12, 2012, he gave in Paris's museum Palais de Tokyo a non-stop solo version of 35 hours of Erik Satie's Vexations. Starting December 12 at noon and ending December 13 at 11 pm.
From the June 23 to July 27, 2013, he was invited by the DO NOT OPEN Gallery in Brussels to give his first exhibit, highly influenced by Clyfford Still & Hermann Nitsch
On April 11, 2014, in the Palais de Tokyo, he premiered the GlassWorlds, a gigantic Philip Glass Homage where 120 composers from 56 countries and all musical genres wrote a work for this program.
On January 9, 2015, in Carnegie Hall, New York, he premiered the Complete 20 Philip Glass Etudes.
On October 10 to 12, 2015, in Paris's Le Grand Rex, for the 1st encore of Danny Elfman's anniversary concert, Nicolas Horvath was in duet with the composer himself to perform Elfman's Oogie Boogie's song.
On October 31, 2015, The Gallery of Estonia (the Estonian pavilion) as part of the Milan World Expo closing day invited him to give the first Jaan Rääts music only recital.
On May 25, 2016, he gave a Jaan Rääts recital at Strasbourg European Parliament for the inauguration Ceremony of Estonia at the lead of the Council of Europe.
On the night of October 1 to 2, 2016, at the Paris Philharmonie Boulez Hall, he performed a twelve-hour-long marathon of piano works by Philip Glass.
In April 2017, he requested to all Jaan Rääts' students, such as Erkki-Sven Tüür, Tõnu Kõrvits, Timo Steiner, Kerri Kotta ... to compose each of them an exclusive piece for an all-Estonia Jaan Rääts Homage tour (for the 85th anniversary of composer).
On March 18, 2018, he gave a world premiere in Nantes during the Festival Variations the complete piano music of Erik Satie.
On March 24, 2018, he was invited by the Labenche Museum in Brive-la-Gaillarde to give a Claude Debussy recital for his centenary on the composer's last piano. During this concert Nicolas Horvath premiered Claude Debussy works completed by the musicologist Robert Orledge.
On September 9, 2018, he gave the world premiere of Moondog 's Complete Book of Canons n°1, 2 & 3 and The Great Canon in Toulouse for the Opening Concert of the Moondog Season and for the Piano aux Jacobins Festival.
On April 28, 2019, he was the first pianist ever to perform in a single concert and without any break all 15 Karlheinz Stockhausen's Klavierstuke for solo piano in Nantes for the Variations Festival.
On May 17 and 18, 2019, he was selected by Philip Glass himself to perform Glass' Etudes nos. 13 and 14 during the Philip Glass & Friends concerts at the Philharmonie de Paris.
In 2024 and 2025, he launched a project titled Year of Bach, during which he recorded all of the chorales by Johann Sebastian Bach. The project received some criticism due to its name, which is also used by an existing blog and podcast about Bach created by Evan Goldfine, a fractional chief financial officer and investor.
Discography Classical music J.S. Bach: Year of Bach/Bach Complete Chorales - 12 Volumes from November 24 to October 25 (1 album per volume), Azure Sky Anne-Louise Brillon de Jouy: The Piano Sonatas Rediscovered. 2 CD Naxos – Grand Piano Records, 2021 Frédéric Chopin: The Secret Nocturnes, Vol.1. 1 CD – Collection 1001 Notes, 2024 Frédéric Chopin: The Secret Nocturnes, Vol.2. 1 CD – Collection 1001 Notes, 2025 Frédéric Chopin: The Secret Nocturnes, Vol.3. 1 CD – Collection 1001 Notes, 2026 Karl Czerny: 30 Études de Mécanisme, Op. 849 , CD Naxos – Grand Piano Records, 2019 Claude Debussy: The Unknown Debussy - Rare Piano Music, CD Naxos – Grand Piano Records, 2020 Karl August Hermann: Complete Piano Music , CD Toccata Classics, 2018 Franz Liszt: Christus , CD Editions Horus, 2012 Hélène de Montgeroult: The Complete Piano Sonatas, 2 CD Naxos – Grand Piano Records, 2021 Erik Satie: Nuit Erik Satie Live at Philharmonie de Paris, DVD Blu-ray HD – Grand Piano Records, 2022 Erik Satie: Complete Piano Works, New Salabert Edition vol.4 , CD Naxos – Grand Piano Records, 2019 Erik Satie: Complete Piano Works, New Salabert Edition vol.3 , Naxos – Grand Piano Records, 2018 Erik Satie: Complete Piano Works, New Salabert Edition vol.2 , CD Naxos – Grand Piano Records, 2018 Erik Satie: Complete Piano Works, New Salabert Edition vol.1 , CD Naxos – Grand Piano Records, 2017 Germaine Tailleferre: Her Piano Works, Revived vol.1, CD Naxos – Grand Piano Records, 2022
Contemporary / Minimalist / Experimental Music Giuliano d'Angiolini: Aria, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / 2CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2024 Dante Boon: Dreamings,, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / 2CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2024 Thérèse Brenet: Le Visionnaire CD Editions Musik Fabrik, 2012 Lawrence Ball: Prayer for the Breath of the World,, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2023 John Cage: In a Landscape, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2022 Carlos Peron Cano: Ghostly, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2024 Cornelius Cardew: Treatise (Harsh-Noise version) , CD Demerara Records, 2016 Jean Catoire: Complete Piano Works Boxset, 28CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2022 Jean Catoire: Complete Piano Works Vol.8, Digital Collection 1001 Notes – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2022 Jean Catoire: Complete Piano Works Vol.7, Digital Collection 1001 Notes – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2022 Jean Catoire: Complete Piano Works Vol.6, Digital Collection 1001 Notes – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2022 Jean Catoire: Complete Piano Works Vol.5, Digital Collection 1001 Notes – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2022 Jean Catoire: Complete Piano Works Vol.4, Digital Collection 1001 Notes – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2022 Jean Catoire: Complete Piano Works Vol.3, Digital Collection 1001 Notes – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2022 Jean Catoire: Complete Piano Works Vol.2, Digital Collection 1001 Notes – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2022 Jean Catoire: Complete Piano Works Vol.1, Digital Collection 1001 Notes – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2021 David Christoffel: Echecs Opératiques, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / 3CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2023 Melaine Dalibert: En Abyme, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2022 Melaine Dalibert: Horizons,, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2024 Romain Dasnoy: Fractal Piano (tracks 2 to 12 are arranged by Nicolas Horvath, track 1 Fractal in the Rain composed by Akira Yamaoka and arranged by Nicolas Horvath and track 13 Fractal Passages is composed and arranged by Noriyuki Iwadare), Digital RD Records, 2025 Julius Eastman: Three Extended Pieces for Four Pianos, 2 CD & 2 LP, Sub Rosa, 2021 Michael Jon Fink: Sunless, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2023 Philip Glass: Essentials : LP 80th anniversary tribute , LP Naxos – Grand Piano Records, 2017 Philip Glass: GlassWorlds vol.6 , CD Naxos – Grand Piano Records, 2019 Philip Glass: GlassWorlds vol.5 , CD Naxos – Grand Piano Records, 2016 Philip Glass: GlassWorlds vol.4 , CD Naxos – Grand Piano Records, 2016 Philip Glass: GlassWorlds vol.3 , CD Naxos – Grand Piano Records, 2016 Philip Glass: GlassWorlds vol.2 , CD Naxos – Grand Piano Records, 2015 Philip Glass: GlassWorlds vol.1 , CD Naxos – Grand Piano Records, 2015 Pal Hermann: Complete Surviving Music Vol.3, CD Toccata Classics, 2024 Eva-Maria Houben: Gesänge des tages und der nacht, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2023 Anastassis Philippakopoulos: Silent Lights, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / 2CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2023 Hans Otte: The Book of Sounds, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / 2CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2022 Terry Jennings: Winter Sun, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2023 Dennis Johnson: November, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / 6CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2022 Tom Johnson: One Hour for Piano, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2022 Tom Johnson: The Chord Catalogue, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / 4CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2022 Dominique Lawalrée: De Temps en Temps, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2024 Denis Levaillant: Daydreams - Piano Works No.8 : Piano Songs, Vols.1&2, 1 CD – Azure Sky, 2025 Alvin Lucier: Music for Piano XL, CD Naxos - Grand Piano Records, 2021 Nicolas Horvath: Improvisation Ritual (in the Hyoscamus Thurneman compilation), Book CD, Ajna Offensive, 2020 Jaan Rääts: Complete Piano Sonatas Vol.1 , CD Naxos – Grand Piano Records, 2017 Ehsan Saboohi: Iranian Haiku, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2023 Morteza Shirkoohi: Divine Thoughts, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2022 William Susman: Quiet Rhythms Book I, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / CD Belarca – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2022 Samuel Vriezen: Within Fourths / Within Fifths, Digital Collection 1001 Notes / CD ACEL – Nicolas Horvath Discoveries, 2024