Jonathan Hannau is a Chicago-based composer and pianist devoted to the surreal, minimal, abstract, and colorful possibilities of music. He actively embraces eclecticism and explores concepts of narrative, drama, and stark expression by evoking a kaleidoscopic range of timbres.
As a pianist he has been praised for his delicate, refined touch, his capable handling of the extremes of dynamic shape, and his uncanny knack for navigating complex polyrhythms. His multi-style performance history has helped foster a unique approach to piano performance, pushing the limits of what is possible on the instrument.
Recent engagements involved celebrating the release of his newest album for solo piano The Cottage at the End of the Forest which he premiered at Evanston’s SPACE in September 2023. More recently, he made his Chicago classical music radio debut on WFMT (98.7) where he performed works by Janacek and Bacewicz with violinist Hannah Christiansen. In terms of art administration, he is now the new Artistic Associate for the Chicago Composers Orchestra.
A regular collaborator, he has worked with Ensemble Dal Niente, ~Nois Saxophone quartet, Quijote Duo, Ursa Ensemble, Fulcrum Point New Music Project, Chicago Wind Symphony, Tradewinds Ensemble, 5th Wave Collective, and numerous artists throughout the city of Chicago and abroad. Currently he is working with percussionist Kyle Flens in a newly minted group called “Flannau Duo”, which was awarded a Chicago DCASE grant to help fund their 2023-2024 season and commission new works for the ensemble.
He is actively engaged with the new music community of Chicago, consistently putting on performances of contemporary music in many genres that regularly include world premieres from an eclectic background of composers. In June 2023 he was involved with the Cortona Sessions for New Music in Italy where he was awarded the Fellowship position in Piano. While his background as an artist is steeped in classical and the avant-garde, he also has a love for Neo-classical, minimalist, and ambient music. In 2022 he released a neoclassical EP Reminiscence Vol. 1 with Enjou Records.
His compositions have been performed by the Ensemble Dal Niente, Nois~, Chicago Composers Orchestra, Civic Orchestra of Chicago, Ursa Ensemble, Ostrega-Uhl Project, Origin Brass Quintet, Disquiet Music Ensemble, 20+ New Music Ensemble at DePaul University, Lakeshore Rush, Lake Effect Quartet, the CCMP players of Boston Conservatory, and numerous soloists. His music has also been featured on radios and podcasts most notably on Classical WSMR’s “Modern Notebook” with Tyler Kline, “It Takes a Village” with Rhea March, and “Relevant Tones” with Access Contemporary Music.
His past project titled the Rocking Chair Series involved commissions of solo piano works presented alongside an interview with the composer; creating an inviting atmosphere for the audience as they listened to a wide variety of musical styles and insights regarding the compositional process.
His debut album Pieces I Wrote on a Cold Winter Night, inspired by his meditation series: Music, Stillness, Solidarity, received a grant from the Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in 2021. It was recorded through Atlas Arts Media and released through SCRIPTS records on October 13, 2021. Click here to listen!
Press:
“He transcended all expectations and might be considered one of the first composers to actually put the creative strategies of Andre Breton and Marcel Duchamp to effective use in music.”
-Erich Barganier, Obscure Frequencies
“In the world of contemporary piano, where there are endless possibilities of timbre, Jonathan Hannau’s command of controlled chaos is extraordinary.”
-Heidi Joosten, composer
His playing has been described as “Heroically accurate” by composer Wynton Guess.
My families dogs (Left to Right) Hildegard, Macy, and Pepper
