“If you drew a Venn diagram showing the overlap between Canadian contemporary classical music and environmental activism, one name would stand out: Frank Horvat.
Based in Toronto, Horvat has become known as Canada’s “eco-composer,” as he describes it, for his growing body of works that not only address humankind’s negative impact on the environment, but also celebrate our natural, living monuments.
“As I learned more about climate change around 15 years ago, there was something within my heart and soul that felt like I had an obligation to help bring more awareness to this situation, not to mention also assess how I was personally contributing to the problem,” Horvat explained to CBC Music. “So, in addition to selling my home and moving into a smaller dwelling, selling my car and ensuring that all other carbon I emitted was offset, I looked to my creative self to bring more awareness.”
At first, Horvat was hesitant, since he wasn’t a scientist or politician. “But then I realized that music was my ‘thing’ and I had a role to help engage more people in the issue with the particular skill set that I had,” he affirmed. Today, he’s busier than ever…”
