Michael Kurek, Composer

"Deeply Felt, Romantic Music --

By the end, I saw more than a few people wiping away a tear, because they were so moved."

That's how one audience member recently described the scene at a performance of Michael Kurek's music. Here is a classical composer who has self-assuredly emerged from his 20th-century roots to forge a vibrantly emotional, personal musical voice for the 21st century. While fresh and original in style, this is richly melodic music, grounded in narrative formal design and essentially traditional tonality – notoriously traditional by the old avant-garde, 20th-century standards, some say. But Kurek does not seek to usurp his more experimental colleagues. Rather, having mastered 20th-century techniques himself with distinction, he would now argue through the integrity of his tonal craft the case for a new kind of pluralism in contemporary composition. His work demonstrates that the new century' is no longer so much a matter of a united quest to stretch sonic boundaries, nor of striking postmodern or eclectic juxtapositions, nor even of a series of “retro” movements, but simply an attitude of diversity that allows all styles to coexist. Click on "Biography" to read more.

Welcome to michaelkurek.com! Be sure to scroll down this page for a free Digital Music Download! "Michael Kurek's music [Pas de deux] embraced the sonata form and indulged the shimmering harmonies and daring rhythms of Ravel, Debussy, and Rachmaninoff. As pure music...Kurek's piece is a dazzler." -- Nashville Scene, Feb. 22, 2007

FREE DOWNLOAD! A WELCOME GIFT FOR OUR WEBSITE VISITORS! Click HERE to download a FREE MP3 recording of Michael Kurek's "Pas de deux" (Movement I of his Trio for Violin, Violoncello, and Piano). (Note: On most PC's, you may right-click on the word "HERE" in the previous sentence and choose "Save Target As" in order to download the file to your hard disk, rather than just playing it in streaming audio.) This download contains the entire, fifteen-minute movement, in a professional recording by Blair School of Music at Vanderbilt University professors Dr. Carolyn Huebl (violin), Dr. Felix Wang (cello), and Dr. Melissa Rose (piano), who performed it live with the Nashville Ballet on February 16-18, 2007. You have legal permission to copy this copyrighted music to CD or MP3 player for your private listening enjoyment, but not to reproduce, web-publish, distribute, or resell it in any form. Please consider purchasing the entire 70-minute download! (Click on the CD link or MySpace link on the left).Musicians can contact Michael Kurek (see contact link in the left column) for information on obtaining score and parts for the entire trio. You are invited to enjoy the rest of this site and send comments using the "contact us" link below!

Most photos on this site are provided compliments of master photographer Denise Truscello of Las Vegas, Nevada, currently principal photographer of Celine Dione. Denise has also recently photographed Elton John, Queen, Al Pacino, and many others. Thanks, Denise! These images are available in high resolution for use in print media (contact Michael Kurek via the Contact Page -- see column at left).