BACH, J.S.                 
Concerto #1 in d, BWV 1052
BARBER
Concerto, Op. 38
BARTÓK                   
Concerto for 2 Pianos                          
BEETHOVEN
Concerto #1 in C, Op. 15
Concerto #3 in c, Op. 37
Concerto #4 in G, Op. 58
Concerto #5 in E-flat, Op. 73 ("Emperor")
Fantasia in c, Op. 80 ("Choral")
BRAHMS                   
Concerto #1 in d, Op. 15
Concerto #2 in B-flat, Op. 83
CHOPIN                    
Andante Spianato & Grande Polonaise, Op. 22
Concerto #2 in f, Op. 21
FALLA                       
Nights in the Gardens of Spain
GERSHWIN               
Concerto in F
Rhapsody in Blue
Second Rhapsody
Variations on I Got Rhythm
GRIEG            
Concerto in a, Op. 16
LISZT
Concerto #1 in E-flat
LISZT-BUSONI         
Rhapsodie espagnole
MENDELSSOHN      
Concerto #1 in g, Op. 25
Concerto in d for Violin & Piano
MOZART                   
Concerto #12 in A, K. 414
Concerto #13 in C, K. 415
Concerto #15 in B-flat, K. 450
Concerto #17 in G, K. 453
Concerto #20 in d, K. 466
Concerto #21 in C, K. 467
Concerto #23 in A, K. 488
Concerto #24 in c, K. 491
PROKOFIEV             
Concerto #3 in C, Op. 26
RACHMANINOFF   
Concerto #2 in c, Op. 18
Concerto #3 in d, Op. 30
Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 23
RAVEL                       
Concerto in G
SAINT-SAËNS          
Carnival of the Animals
SCHUMANN            
Concerto in a, Op. 54
TCHAIKOVSKY       
Concerto #1 in b-flat, Op. 23

"John Novacek juxtaposes some very serious Mozart with his lighter side. He approaches all of this music with consummate control and grace and a tonal luminosity that serves the composer well. A fine recital, enhanced by excellent sonics."
AMERICAN RECORD GUIDE

"Novacek’s contributions cannot be exaggerated. His partnering [with violinist Leila Josefowicz] is at once brilliant and unobtrusive; without slighting any musical values, he underplays handsomely while accomplishing technical feats many pianists can’t even consider: varieties of touch, a huge dynamic range, nuances of statement and the bold use of all his pianistic resources within the parameters imposed by the genre."
LOS ANGELES TIMES

"In terms of repertoire, performance and production values, this is a fine release. Novacek possesses a virile, steely technique that matches this material splendidly. Novacek’s style is athletic, but he is certainly capable of poetic playing when it is called for. In short, here is a splendid recital from a pianist well worth keeping an ear open for in the future."
FANFARE

"John Novacek performed Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 3. Novacek’s marvelous touch was evident from the start, his flawless legato singing through the piano’s opening theme. A superb technique is required for this most difficult of the Rachmaninov concerti and Novacek displayed his fully along with his unfailing musicality, moving with ease through the concerto’s difficult passage work as well as its simpler themes."
SAN BERNARDINO SUN

"[Elliott Carter’s] Sonata was written just before he began writing five decades of the most conceptually and technically challenging repertoire that any major composer has ever put before the public. Expertly performed by pianist John Novacek, the Sonata is a glorious work, though by no means easy listening. It would make a good entry point into Carter’s musical universe."
THE OTTAWA CITIZEN

"More than half the 23 rags on ‘Novarags’ are John Novacek’s original compositions or arrangements; at his best, he rivals some of William Bolcom’s superb contributions to this literature. Both the performances and the audio quality are excellent. There’s quite an emotional spectrum here, too, from the wildly irrepressible to the thoughtful and nostalgic, and that toe-tapping impulse you’ll always fine in good ragtime."
THE SEATTLE TIMES

"There is hardly a more athletic concerto than the [Prokofiev] Third and that’s saying something. Novacek laid into the keys with a touch of radioactivity, and drove the Scotia Festival Orchestra with furious intensity, playing the syncopated chords in the second movement like a jazz pianist, triggering them off just that split second early that threatens to crack the firmament - and twisting them with gut-wrenching body language to boot."
THE CHRONICLE HERALD (Halifax)

"The performance on this CD by violinist Mark Fewer and pianist John Novacek is first rate. Both artists convey the versatility, intensity and dynamism inherent in Antheil’s eclectic style. Fewer and Novacek switch effortlessly from the primal pounding rhythms inspired by Stravinsky, which obviously require much stamina, to the pastiche of ragtime, vaudeville, tango, tin pan alley, fox trot and jazz. With incisive and well-muscled playing, they captivate the difficult effects required in Antheil’s compositions. The range of both instruments are pushed to the limit—hand clusters and glissandi on the piano, and unconventional sound effects, including arpeggiated chords played percussively behind the bridge and non-pitched scratches from the violin. For sheer virtuosity and panache, this recording is a towering achievement."
CHAMBER MUSIC TODAY

"Saturday’s concert offered another world premiere, John Novacek’s cello sonata called Sounding Piece. Novacek’s last movement is unusually quiet, as though [the composer] mistrusted the easy thrill of ending with a bang. Novacek’s 35-minute piece with a hectic, assertive cluster of jazzy elements was played with brio by the composer and cellist Michelle Djokic. The stinging dissonances were refreshing, and the hymn-like final movement left in its wake a shared silence as beautiful as any music."
THE TRIBUNE (San Luis Obispo, CA)