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Jacksonville, Florida
Sunday, 10 June 2012 - 2:30 PM
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CHOPIN: Prelude in C# minor, Op.45
J.S. BACH: English Suite No. 5, BWV 810
ALBÉNIZ: El puerto
BRAHMS: Intermezzi & Capriccios
ALBÉNIZ: El Albaicin
Musician and photographer Jost Van Dyke is actively involved in local and national arts communities. At the same time he is one of the Florida Panhandle's most popular fitness gurus, as a certified Pilates instructor in Tallahassee. A concert pianist by training, Mr. Van Dyke's path to - and back to - the recital hall has not been an easy one, but it has led him through many varied and rewarding endeavors.
Jost was born with Poland's Syndrome, manifested as an underdeveloped arm and the absence of chest muscles on his right side. Piano lessons were suggested as therapy, and not only did the lessons help with the continuing development of his arm, they unlocked an abiding talent that otherwise might have gone undiscovered. Brought to the attention of legendary pianist Edward Kilenyi (1910-2000), the prodigious youth was invited to join Kilenyi's studio at Florida State University while Jost was still in high school.
While completing his Piano Performance degree under Kilenyi, Mr. Van Dyke (then billed as Joseph Dykes) was music director for a number of productions in the FSU School of Theatre. In 1984, this led him to New York City as Artist in Residence and Musical Director in the Musical Theatre Department at Marymount Manhattan College. He continued his own studies as well, working with concert pianists Thaddeus Sadlowski, Regina Shamvilli and Daniell Revenaugh, and Mr. Van Dyke garnered a following as a solo recitalist, beginning with his 1985 Manhattan debut at Marymount. Upon completing his residency in 1990, he accepted a position with the National Dance Institute. During this time, he concurrently became active in the music publishing industry, with consecutive positions at Carl Fischer Music, International Music Co. & Bourne Music, and MCA/Universal Music.
In the early 1990s, he faced a new challenge with the onset of focal dystonia. The condition causes uncontrollable muscle spasms, and it has hindered or ended the careers of many distinguished musicians, including Leon Fleisher. Undefeated, Mr. Van Dyke accepted the challenge as an opportunity to explore fine art photography, leading to exhibitions in Tallahassee, Jacksonville, New York City, Washington, D.C., and Savannah. His photographic work is represented in the permanent collection of the Bergen Gallery at Savannah College of Art and Design, and in private collections around the nation.
Mr. Van Dyke's path led back to Tallahassee and into the culinary arts, and in the late 1990s he wrote a monthly newspaper column on gourmet food. He began practicing yoga and Pilates, which unexpectedly opened a new career avenue when he was approached to become a fitness instructor. Attributed in part to his disciplined physical training, the effects of the focal dystonia have dissipated. This is his first public recital in two decades.
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