JORDAN BAK

b.1994

Far Rockaway, NY

Award-winning Jamaican-American violist Jordan Bak has earned international acclaim for his radiant stage presence, dynamic interpretations, and fearless artistry. Critics have described him as "a powerhouse musician, with a strong voice and compelling sound" (The Whole Note) and praised his "haunting lyrical grace" (Gramophone). The recipient of the London Philharmonic Orchestra's Alexandra Jupin Award and a former Young Classical Artists Trust (YCAT) Robey Artist, Bak was also a prizewinner in the Sphinx, Lionel Tertis, and Concert Artists Guild Competitions, and has received accolades from Classic FM, Musical America, and WQXR.

Recent and upcoming highlights include the New York premiere of Michael Frazier's viola concerto Los quetzales with the American Composers Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, following a celebrated North American tour of Mozart viola quintets with the Takács Quartet. Elsewhere this season, Bak gives an unaccompanied recital at Grace Farms, serves as chamber music artist-in-residence at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music, presents a recital and masterclass at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, and joins composer-pianist Eleanor Alberga for a North American chamber music tour with performances at Festival Napa Valley, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Merkin Concert Hall, Emory University, and the University of Chicago.

Bak's enthusiastically received sophomore album, Cantabile: Anthems for Viola (Delphian Records), garnered international acclaim for its imaginative programming, pairing works by Arnold Bax, Benjamin Britten, and Ralph Vaughan Williams with contemporary compositions by Jonathan Harvey, Bright Sheng, and Augusta Read Thomas. A passionate advocate for contemporary music, Bak has given numerous world premieres, including Michael Frazier's viola concerto Los quetzales with the Eastman School Symphony Orchestra under Joshua Gersen, Chris Rogerson's Viola Quintet with the Escher String Quartet, Kaija Saariaho's Du gick, flög for viola and mezzo-soprano, Jessica Meyer's On fire…no, after you for viola, mezzo-soprano, and piano, Augusta Read Thomas' Upon Wings of Words for string quartet and soprano, and Jeffrey Mumford's stillness echoing for viola and harp.

Bak has appeared as soloist with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony, Sarasota Orchestra, London Mozart Players, New York Classical Players, and Juilliard Orchestra, among others, and has performed under distinguished conductors including Howard Griffiths, Stephen Mulligan, Keith Lockhart, Gerard Schwarz, Ewa Strusińska, and Joshua Gersen. As a recitalist and chamber musician, he has appeared in many of the world's leading concert halls, including Carnegie Hall, the Concertgebouw, Wigmore Hall, Jordan Hall, Alice Tully Hall, Merkin Concert Hall, the Perelman Theater at the Kimmel Center, Elgar Concert Hall, Helsinki Music Centre, and the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

A frequent guest at leading chamber music festivals, Bak has appeared at Marlboro Music, Tippet Rise, Chamber Music Northwest, Newport Classical, and Festival Napa Valley, and has been presented by Chamber Music Detroit, Philadelphia Chamber Music Society, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, Capital Region Classical, Emory University's Candler Concert Series, and Shriver Hall Concert Series. He collaborates regularly with the Takács, Escher, Verona, Balourdet, and Catalyst Quartets, Merz Trio, and Hermitage Piano Trio, and has performed alongside artists including Jonathan Biss, Lara Downes, Jennifer Frautschi, Ani Kavafian, Soovin Kim, Charles Neidich, Marina Piccinini, and Gilles Vonsattel.

Committed to mentoring the next generation of musicians, Bak serves on the viola faculties of Manhattan School of Music and NYU Steinhardt. He is also an Ambassador for UK Music Masters in London and teaches each summer at Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival in Vermont. His masterclasses have included appearances at Rice University's Shepherd School of Music, Oberlin Conservatory, the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University, the University of Colorado Boulder, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (UK), and Conservatorio del Tolima (Colombia).

Only the third violist to earn the Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School, Jordan Bak also holds degrees from New England Conservatory and The Juilliard School, where he was awarded the prestigious Kovner Fellowship. His principal teachers were Dimitri Murrath, Hsin-Yun Huang, and Samuel Rhodes.

Jordan Bak performs on two violas by Jon van Kouwenhoven. He is married to violist Rubina Bak and shares his home with their two cats, Bartók and Walton.