About Joshua

Joshua Kováč, 16, from Johnson City, Tennessee, first began cello lessons at the age of four as a student of Jean Dexter. Since the fall of 2015, he continued his cello studies under the tutelage of Daniel Veis, a renowned cellist and Professor at Park University.

Joshua won top prizes at numerous national and international competitions, including 1st prize at the International Young Artist Concerto Competition, 2nd prize at Ronald Sachs International Music Competition, 1st prize at Nashville Symphony Curb Concerto Competition, 1st prize at the Gustav Mahler International cello competition, 1st prize at the Elizabeth Harper Vaughn Concerto Competition, 1st prize at ProBohemia International Competition, 1st prize at the Radda Rise International Competition, 2nd prize at the MTNA National Competition, 1st prize at Rudolph Barshai International String Competition, 1st prize at Park-Na International Competition, 2nd prize at Hilton Head Symphony Youth Concerto Competition, silver medal in The Stulberg International Competition, 2nd prize at Heran International Competition. Joshua has performed the Dvořák Cello Concerto with the Nashville Symphony, Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, and has performed the Dvořák Cello Concerto with the Symphony of the Mountains (March 2024). His other solo appearances with an orchestra include Prokofiev’s Sinfonia Concertante (movement II) with the SEEN Orchestra in Chicago, Kinnor Philharmonic, ETSU Orchestra, and Scruffy City Orchestra. Joshua also plays as the principal cellist of the ETSU Orchestra. On February 6, 2020, Joshua appeared on NPR's radio show From The Top and performed at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. He is also a recipient of the From The Top's 2020 Jack Kent Cooke Young Artist Award. Recently, Joshua attended the prestigious cello masterclasses at the Kronberg Academy in Germany, where he was accepted into the class of professor Jérôme Pernoo. Joshua has taken part in various music festivals, including Music@Menlo Chamber Music Institute, Chamber Music Northwest in Portland, Jérôme Pernoo Cello Workshop in France, the National Cello Institute, the Heartland Chamber Music Festival, and the ETSU Chamber Music Festival. Joshua also engaged in a masterclass with Frans Helmerson at the Encore Music Festival.

Joshua completed lessons and played in masterclasses with numerous renowned musicians such as Hans Jørgen Jensen, Zlatomir Fung, Thomas Landschoot, Gilbert Kalish, Dmitri Atapine, Matt Haimovitz, Steven Doane, Jérôme Pernoo, Keith Robinson, Johannes Moser, and the members of the Harlem and Parker String Quartets. Among other interests, Joshua enjoys competitive swimming, playing chess, playing piano, and spending time with family and friends.