Janoska Ensemble

ABOUT

New directions in music are currently trending under imaginative names, with fusion and crossovercategories constantly expanding. However, the classically trained Janoska Ensemble transcends allboundaries with its polyglot musical language. Their debut CD, which climbed to gold status within a fewmonths, bears the apt titleJANOSKA STYLE(Deutsche Grammophon 2016). Their 2019 albumREVOLUTIONalso reached gold status. In 2022, album No. 3 entitledTHE BIG B’swas released. Thefourth Deutsche Grammophon albumTHE FOUR SEASONSis in preparation (release October 2024).

Summarizing the special quality of the Janoska arrangements in a few words is no easy task: they areparallel incursions into classical territory and into far-distant realms of musical repertoire, where themusicians exercise their spontaneous creativity to fashion first-class, innovative, thrilling music thatlives and breathes. These incomparably audience-friendly transformations are the work of threebrothers from Bratislava–Ondrej and Roman Janoska playing violins and František Janoska at the piano–together with their Konstanz-born brother-in-law Julius  Darvas on double bass. Both families share along tradition of musicianship. The Janoskas have been making music for six generations, while JuliusDarvas builds on three generations and more of doublebass playing. Another quality shared by theensemble’s members is a first-rate classical education and prize-winning solo achievements. Inrecognition of their outstanding musical achievements, the ensemble was honored with the Slovakiannational prize, the “Crystal Wing Award”, in 2023.

Selectively enriching their programs, often with evocative titles, their own compositions serve asemotional visiting cards that shed light on the personalities of these outstanding artists. In their ownindividual styles, the four musicians express their love of improvisation with enthusiastic abandon andconsummate virtuosity, rewarded by rapturous applause from discerning audiences on four continents.The Janoska Ensemble is–in pop jargon–a “live band”. The emotional intelligence and subtle humor of the artists’ interaction with their audience, combined with their masterfully staged play on familiarmelodies and surprise effects in their newly created musical numbers, can be relied upon to stir listenersfrom their seats, almost invariably resulting in enthusiastic standing ovations

Their Janoska Style, theirnever merely superficial virtuosity, and their ability to engage with one another and their audience inquick-fire musical dialogue have brought invitations from big-name stage personalities suchas AnnaNetrebko, Al Jarreau, Bobby McFerrin, Juan Diego Flórez, Brian McKnight, Julian Rachlin, RandyNewman, Biréli Lagrène, and Lalo Schifrin.