What If Mozart Had One More Masterpiece? David K. Israel’s The Lost Mozart
It was lovely catching up with David K. Israel again, and this time our conversation took us away from music and into the world of his latest novel, The Lost Mozart, published by Regalo Press in August 2026.
David is a novelist, essayist, composer and screenwriter who has spent more than three decades telling stories through words, music and film. His work as a composer has brought him into the world of dance, with commissioned scores performed by Paul Taylor, Twyla Tharp and the New York City Ballet. As a writer, his first novel, Behind Everyman, was published by Random House and translated internationally.
In our conversation, David gives us a glimpse into The Lost Mozart, a novel set in 1987 about Noah Wideman, a young college music student who discovers what appears to be a long-lost, unfinished string quartet by Mozart. With the help of Eos, a brilliant fellow student, and an unexpected circle of older music lovers, Noah sets out to complete the piece and bring it to the world in a story that weaves together music, friendship, ambition and second chances. Knowing David as both a composer and a writer, I love the idea of these two worlds coming together in a novel where music itself becomes the heart of the story.
We also spoke about the devastating Los Angeles fires and how this experience affected David and the community around him. Beyond the physical destruction, events like these leave their mark on people's lives, their sense of home and their connection to the places and people they love. It was an important reminder of how deeply our surroundings shape us, and how communities come together in difficult times.
It was such a pleasure to reconnect with David and hear about this new chapter in his creative life. I hope his wish for The Lost Mozart to be translated into German comes true, and that the book finds its way to Vienna and readers around the world. It would be wonderful to see his story travel across languages and borders, bringing new readers into the world he has created.
Every artist has a story worth hearing.
https://www.davidkisrael.me
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