Zvonimir Nagy (pronounced /nadj;/) is a Pittsburgh-based composer and performer. He is Assistant Professor of Music at Duquesne University where he teaches music theory and composition courses. Previously, he taught theory and composition at St. Xavier University in Chicago and he served as an instructor of composition at Northwestern University.
Guided by his research in music theory, Nagy’s compositions are inspired by the intersection of aesthetics and cognition as well as music perception and philosophy. Most notably, his compositions reflect compositional processes derived from the perceptual affinity of tones, such as Sonance Modes/Series, along with their tonal and metrical analogues. Nagy is currently composing a multimedia opera for soloists, chamber ensemble, and electronics; he is also working on a book project discussing how music creation and performance contribute to the definition of musical creativity within the complex and challenging world of the performing arts.
Nagy's music has been commissioned and performed by music ensembles such as Alia Musica Ensemble, the Seattle Symphony, First Readings Project Ensemble, JACK Quartet, and musicians from the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra; and he has given presentations on numerous conferences, symposia, and colloquia. Recently, he received of Duquesne University Presidential Scholarship Award for his ongoing scholarly exploration on perspectives of musical creativity; as a composer, he is the recipient of the the Seattle Composition Prize and the Swan Prize in Music Composition at the University of Minnesota. His compositions are published by Musik Fabrik Editions, Paraclete Press, and World Library Publications.
As an active performer specializing in improvisation, Nagy is also the organist at St. Joseph Cathedral in Wheeling, WV. He is a recipient of the 2nd prize in the 2010 César Franck/Olivier Messiaen International Organ Competition in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and he continues to give solo and chamber performances in the United States and Europe.
Nagy holds bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees in music from the Academy of Music-University of Zagreb, Texas Christian University, and Northwestern University respectively.
Please visit www.nagymusic.com for more information.