Spotlight on Jordan Bak
About Jordan
Award-winning Jamaican-American violist Jordan Bak has achieved international acclaim as a trailblazing artist, praised for his radiant stage presence, dynamic interpretations and fearless power. Critics have described him as “an exciting new voice in Classical performance” (I Care If You Listen), “a powerhouse musician, with a strong voice and compelling sound” (The Whole Note) and lauded his “haunting lyrical grace” (Gramophone).
Bak has been a presence at numerous chamber music festivals such as Marlboro Music Festival, Tippet Rise, Chamber Music Northwest, Roman River Festival, and Newport Classical, and has appeared during the year at Chamber Music Detroit, Chamber Music Society of Central Virginia, and Chamber Music Society of Little Rock. Recent and upcoming highlights include NEXUS Chamber Music, Brooklyn Chamber Music Society, and Emory University, as well as an upcoming tour with Musicians from Marlboro. Bak has performed as a guest with the Baloudet Quartet, Verona Quartet and Merz Trio and has collaborated with such artists as Jonathan Biss, Lara Downes, Jennifer Frautschi, Ani Kavafian, Soovin Kim, Charles Neidich, Marina Piccinini, and Gilles Vonsattel.
Education
Passionate about education, Bak currently serves as Assistant Professor of Viola at University of North Carolina School of the Arts (UNCSA). He was a former faculty member of Bowling Green State University in Ohio and served as a visiting artist and Ambassador for Music Masters in London. Additionally, he has given masterclasses at Peabody Institute of the Johns Hopkins University, Oberlin Conservatory, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Royal Birmingham Conservatoire (UK), Conservatorio del Tolima (Colombia), and the Brevard Music Center.
Only the third violist to earn the Artist Diploma from The Juilliard School, Jordan Bak holds a Bachelor of Music degree from New England Conservatory and a Master of Music degree from The Juilliard School where he was awarded the prestigious Kovner Fellowship. His principal teachers were Dimitri Murrath, Hsin-Yun Huang, and Samuel Rhodes.
The Viola
Jordan's viola was made in 2016 by Jon van Kouwenhoven.
"Testore's instruments seem to be specifically for function without giving a darn about appearance. The van Kouwenhoven is similar to me in that it feels organic. Earthy. Like a mineral mined from the depths of this planet with sweat, tears, and labor, and then fashioned into a gem. That’s how I like it. No frills, nothing sugar-coated or tarted up, just authenticity. But above all, it’s my voice."
And Jordan plays with an EFEL shoulder rest for comfort and flexibility.
"The EFEL Viola Shoulder Rest truly is the best shoulder rest I've ever used so far! It's extremely lightweight, very comfortable over the left shoulder and collarbone, and perfectly fits my viola. The setup out of the box has just enough contour to be supportive, but allows for enough flexibility to move your instrument one way or another when playing. It preserves the resonance of my viola and fits around the instrument beautifully, so you don't get that awfully familiar feeling of an unsupportive shoulder rest about to fall off on stage. Highly recommend for any serious or professional violinists and violists out there!"
Visions
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Collaboration with the Balourdet Quartet
Jordan performs often as a guest artist with many amazing ensembles.
photo credit: Bill Head
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Thoughtful about life
Jordan is introspective and loves to bring warmth and humor to his audiences in addition to his powerful playing style.
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Intense performer
Here with Russell Houston and Ben Zannoni of the Balourdet Quartet, Jordan brings intensity to every performance he plays in.
photo credit: Bill Head
