Joshua
Kováč

Seventeen-year-old Joshua Kováč first began cello lessons at the age of four as a student of Jean Dexter. Since 2015, he has been studying under the tutelage of a renowned cellist and professor, Daniel Veis.

Joshua won top prizes at numerous national and international competitions, including YoungArts Winner, Silver Medal at the Stulberg International String Competition, 1st prize at the International Young Artist Concerto Competition, 2nd prize at the Ronald Sachs International Competition, 1st prize at the Nashville Symphony Curb Concerto Competition, 1st prize and the Kodaly Award at the Gustav Mahler International Cello Competition, 1st prize at the Elizabeth Harper Vaughn Concerto Competition, 1st prize at the Radda Rise International Competition, 2nd prize at the MTNA National Junior String Competition, 1st prize at the Park-Na International Competition, and 2nd prize at the Hilton Head Symphony Orchestra Youth Concerto Competition.

Joshua has performed as a soloist with the Nashville Symphony, the Symphony of the Mountains, the SEEN Orchestra in Chicago, the Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, the ETSU Orchestra, the Kinnor Philharmonic, and the Scruffy City Orchestra. In one of his most recent performances, Joshua performed Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante with the Western Michigan University Orchestra in Kalamazoo, Michigan. In July 2024, Joshua was invited to present a pre-concert solo recital with pianist Angie Zhang at the Ravinia Festival in Chicago. On February 6, 2020, Joshua performed on NPR's radio show From The Top at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and was awarded the 2020 Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award.

Joshua has taken part in various music festivals, including the Kronberg Cello Masterclasses, where he was accepted as an active participant, the ENCORE Chamber Music Institute, the Meadowmount School of Music, Music@Menlo, Chamber Music Northwest’s Young Artist Institute, the National Cello Institute, the Heartland Chamber Music Festival, and the ETSU Chamber Music Festival.

Joshua had the privilege of having lessons and masterclasses with renowned musicians, including Hans Jørgen Jensen, Frans Helmerson, Clive Greensmith, Zlatomir Fung, Brannon Cho, Nicholas Canellakis, Max Geissler, Sean Hawthorne, Thomas Landschoot, Gilbert Kalish, Dmitri Atapine, Matt Haimovitz, Steven Doane, Jérôme Pernoo, Keith Robinson, Johannes Moser and   members of the Harlem and Parker String Quartets.

Among other interests, Joshua enjoys swimming, playing chess, playing piano, composing, and spending time with family and friends.