Rembrandt Frerichs

Rembrandt (1977) is a pianist with a broad perspective. Focussing his energy on ideas that are meaningful to him, his artistic journey constantly deepens into new territories. Having played with Michael Brecker aged only 25 and playing a double bill concert with Chick Corea in London, Rembrandt is familiar with American jazz tradition, but he wants to avoid the well-trodden path. Rembrandt's knowledge of the art music of different parts of the world urge his music to develop continously, pushing the limits of classical, improvised and worldmusic.

At age 22 Rembrandt made his debut at the North Sea Jazz Festival. During that time he received the scholarship for excelling young musicians to study in New York City. Directly after graduating he was asked to start teaching at various Music Universities. Now Rembrandt is professor of jazz piano at the Utrecht conservatory.

Both in 2007 and 2014 his albums were nominated for the Dutch Grammy's (Edison Award). His music brought him playing at legendary Jazzclubs Birdland in New York, Ronnie Scott's in London and festivals and clubs in Europe, America and the Far East. In 2017 his Rembrandt Frerichs trio was the opening act at Taichung jazz festival in Taiwan, performing for 50.000 people.

The summer of 2013 marked the beginning of a new artistic journey: the Contemporary Forte Piano. Rembrandt's profound interest in finding out different ways of playing the piano are supported by his constant research. His interest in the sound of early music and oriental instruments like the Santur and Qanun brought him to the fortepiano. Rembrandt now brings back elements of baroque and Middle Eastern art music to his improvised sets, teaming up with masters of Persian music Kayhan Kalhor and Hossein Alizadeh. The Dutch national instruments fund is so enthusiastic about this new direction that it had a fortepiano built especially for Rembrandt.

As a composer, His compositions have been performed and recorded by both classical, world and jazz musicians. Amongst them: violinists Liza Ferschtman, Antoinette Lohmann and Rosanne Philippens, Holland Baroque, Nederlands Kamer Orkest, Cello 8tet, Remy van Kesteren, Mahan Esfahani, the Osiris Trio, the Storioni trio, saxophonist Ties Mellema, Frode Halti, Izhar Elias, Levan Tskhadadze, Dominic Seldis, Amstel Quartet, Matangi Quartet, Zapp String quartet, Hermine Deurloo, classical singer Klaartje van Veldhoven, Kayhan Kalhor, Hossein Alizadeh, Mahsa Vahdat, Paolo Fresu, Trygve Seim, Norma Winstone, Perico Sambeat and Jim Black. His music was also used for theatre play in Japan and by Dance Company Bielefeld (Germany).

In 2004 he was invited for the European Jazz Youth Orchestra's tour though Brazil and Europe,Working with Hermeto Pascoal

In 2013> Carte blanche for the November Music Festival. in 2014> Carte blanche for the Musikbiennale in, Kempen Germany In 2015> Festival about Rembrandt's music in de Doelen, Rotterdam in 2016> Carte blanche at Tivoli Vredenburg, Utrecht. in 2017> Rembrandt & Mondriaan project at the Royal Concertgebouw, Amsterdam. In 2017> Artist-in-residence at the concerthalls of Leiden, together with Klaartje van Veldhoven. In 2017/2018> his own series at De Doelen concerthall Rotterdam

With his Rembrandt Frerichs Trio they launched a yearly series "Music made in Europe", celebrating the best of European Jazz and improvised music, bringing Paolo Fresu (italy), Norma Winstone (Uk) ,Vincent Peirani (France) Trygve Seim (NOR), Verneri Pohjola (FIN), Sylvain Rifflet (FRA) and Perico Sambeat (ESP) as guests to the trio. see more about that here: http://tonalityfoundation.com/project/music-made-in-europe/

In cooperation with museums in Holland, the Rembrandt Frerichs Trio launched a project, 'the art of the trio'.

Selected discography (as a leader) Self Portrait (2006) Ordem & Progresso vol. I (2009) Ordem & progresso vol II (2010) Levantasy (2010) Continental (2011) Sehnsucht (2012) Acoustic Compass (2013) A Long Story Short (2014) Normal Gets you Nowhere (2016) Living Here (2017) The Contemporary Fortepiano (2018) Out the Frame (2018) It’s Still Autumn (2019)

All About Jazz.com: Rembrandt Frerichs’ playing is as memorable as his first name: a young musician with remarkable chops who's also developed an easily-recognizable personal style. He mixes and matches elements of diverse areas in an artistically appropriate and interesting fashion. Show less