McGonigel's Mucky Duck

Loreta Kovacic
May 15

630 PM

 

Loreta Kovacic-Parani, pianist and singer, Grammy nominated songwriter this year. Known for her inspired solo performances from Mucky Duck to Carnegie Hall, she is also recognized as an author of imaginative children’s music.

She focuses on playing original music. Her songwriter style is very eclectic, paying tribute to a variety of composers ranging from Beethoven to Loretta Lynn. “She moves from classical to pop and jazz genres as fluidly as her fingers dance around the ivories” (Houston Press 2008).

Some of her songs are witty, while others dwell on the darker, Slavic sounds from her past. Her music is inspired by music from around the world, a unique international mixture of influences. “Her show has a distinctively cabaret feel to it, with all the notes filtered through her larger then life personality” (Culturemap Houston, 2010)

In her native ex-Yugoslavia, Loreta was known as her country’s first female electronic keyboard player as well as a classical pianist.  Several of her albums have been played on the International Space Station. “Genuine artistry at the keyboard”… (Vecernji List, Croatia)

Loreta holds a Doctorate degree in Musical Arts from Rice University. She composes, teaches piano at her “Alchemist Piano”, directs her “AlchemistPiano Theatre”, produces children’s shows, plays and draws in her studio in Houston Heights.

Her first two albums were classical piano masterpieces (“Loreta Kovacic, pianist” and “Piano Notturno”). Her two latest albums are her original songs: “Cantabile” and her popular children’s musical and a Grammy nominated CD: “Brother Tadpole”, (both available on Amazon and Itunes). Loreta performs as a soloist on piano, voice and melodica or with her bands the “Texas Slavs” or  the “Lude Wiggs”. Loreta continues her work as a songwriter and performer: She has two unpublished albums: “Space Wiggs” and “AlchemistPiano Theatre songs”.