Nicholas Pavkovic at the piano

Nicholas Pavkovic
Composer and Pianist

Träumerei

A Schumann-inspired reverie. I began writing this piece as a jazz re-imagining of Robert Schumann’s Träumerei, but it quickly evolved into a more varied and personal work. The middle section is indebted to composer that I often turn to — and Schumann greatly admired — Johannes Brahms.
recordingNicholas Pavkovic
ImageAdam Tendler

Coastal Rhythm

A minimalist groove for the pulse and sweep of a Central Coast train ride.
videoNicholas Pavkovic
Scene from On the Rocks

On the Rocks

Final cue and end credits for the film by Sun Tae Hwang.The third film in a trilogy of short films about the Korean-American experience, On the Rocks explores a family’s struggle with intergenerational and cultural differences. The main character reminisces about her love of cool jazz, and the score obliges. IMDB
RecordingPhil O’Connor, alto sax; Pablo Baza, drums; Jon Neuman, bass; Nicholas Pavkovic, piano.
Handle with Care artwork

Handle with Care

End credits from the film by Andre LeBlanc.In Handle with Care, a solitary postal worker, still mourning a lost love, discovers an undeliverable letter whose envelope appears to have a drawing of his former partner. An attempt to connect with its sender is awkward, and stirs deeper echoes of grief. LeBlanc’s sensitive short captures a fragile state of loss and the yearning for healing. IMDB

The Season

Opening sequence for the horror feature by Adam Edward Brooks.Adam Edward Brooks’ first feature opens with a dash through a cornfield, followed by a more peaceful — but ominous — flashback scene. Both are depicted in this digitally-orchestrated cue. IMDB
ImageDALL·E via ChatGPT
Abstract tango dancers

Milonga

A tango for winds.Sometimes you’re lucky and the musical landscape falls perfectly into place; harmony, counterpoint, and form align. I feel that way about this little piece, inspired by a trip to Puerto Rico during which I was introduced to that country’s tradition of piano danzas. Scored for a wind ensemble: two flutes, oboe, alto saxophone, bass clarinet, bassoon.
ImageSora

Andantino Grazioso

A movement from a string quartet, orchestrated for strings and winds.
ImageNicholas Pavkovic
Hotel Chelsea

Viola Rhapsody

Played by Jonathan Vinocour and Robin Sutherland.Pianist Robin Sutherland was an alumnus of the San Francisco Conservatory, and he became a cherished mentor of mine while I was in graduate school there. Robin was also the principal keyboardist for the San Francisco Symphony, and the Rhapsody was dedicated to him and to a fellow SFS musician, principal violist Jonathan Vinocour.
ImageNicholas Pavkovic
Young Nicholas Pavkovic at the piano

About me

I began playing the piano at age five, coming back to music later in life to study composition — film scoring at UCLA, jazz studies at Pasadena City College, and a master’s in composition from the San Francisco Conservatory. For a time, I taught at the Conservatory and treasured my occasional gigs as a pianist with the San Francisco Symphony.

Over the years, my multidisciplinary interests have lead to parallel careers in art direction, design, nonprofit arts administration, and software development. I like to think of all of these as creative endeavors.

If you’ve listened to some of the tracks here, you have a sense for my music — classically informed, cinematic, sometimes jazz-influenced. I try to communicate emotion in my work, and if I can also create a narrative (or help someone else create one) then I’m a happy man.

You’ll find my filmography at the IMDB.

Feel free to reach out to me for creative projects or collaborations, at nicholas at pavkovic dot com, or via LinkedIn.