The recent album from the Houston-based Kinetic Ensemble, featuring a composition by PhD composer Paul Novak, is currently number one in the world on the Billboard Classical Chart.
The ensemble's debut album, titled Kinetic, showcases world premiere recordings of works by four young composers: Patrick Harlin, Paul Novak, Nicky Sohn, and Daniel Temkin. A deeply immersive listening experience, the album explores the deep-rooted connections between musical sound and the natural world. Produced and engineered by GRAMMY® award winner Brad Sayles, this debut sets Kinetic’s “thoughtful, incisive programming” and “brilliantly executed” performance on display.
Kinetic is an ensemble of 16 young professional string players committed to amplifying diverse, under-represented, and newly composed classical music to communities in and beyond Houston, through flexible chamber and orchestral ensemble performances.
The music of Chicago-based composer Paul Novak is driven by a love of small things: miniature forms, delicate soundscapes, and condensed ideas. His compositions, which draw influence from literature, art, and poetry, have been performed throughout the United States and abroad. Novak was selected for a Charles Ives Scholarship from the American Academy of Arts and Letters, and has recently received honors from the ASCAP Foundation and National Association of Composers of the USA. He has received commissions from the American Composers Orchestra, ASCAP and Society of Composers, Inc., Music from Copland House, Lynx Project, Boston New Music Initiative, Blackbox Ensemble, and Kinetic Ensemble.
The album is available for both digital and physical purchase, and can also be found on streaming services such as Spotify.