Neoclassical Suite is a column that will present 7 recent, distinctive tracks of the neoclassical-modern classical-contemporary -and beyond!- music field. 

Note: All Bio/about sections provided/written by the artists.

The Players

Patrick Avalon

(solo piano, neoclassical)

“Patrick Avalon’s minimalist piano music ushers you into a space of meditative contemplation while proudly bringing with it the complexity and technicality of classical music. In his fifteen minute piece Midnight Meditation from the Twilight – Solo Piano 1 release, you can’t help but let the cyclical harmony and grainy ambiance soothe you, ground you, and refresh your listening palette from the overstimulating sonic world of most modern music. Patrick’s music is brought to life through a seamless marriage of his mastery in classical piano and in music production. He writes, performs, records, and produces his own music and after a lifetime of working in music at the most elite levels in the industry the obvious outcome we receive from his experiences is high quality sound. Through minimal compositional choices, Patrick manages to evoke raw, powerful emotion and after a few minutes of immersion in his sonic world the cinematic portraits of nature that accompany his tracks make perfect sense. His melodies feel simultaneously intimate and vast as you float along his harmonic landscapes.” (Patrick Avalon)

Norvmbega

(neoclassical, orchestral pop)

“Norvmbega is the musical project of Jono Hill (Brooklyn) and Jon Hansen (Zürich) that results from their efforts towards making timeless, yearning, and novel music inspired by the idea of a mythical land beyond the mountains and larger-than-life family stories.

Despite being great friends and having extensive classical and commercial performing and composing careers, the Jons only rarely had the chance to work together. But after years of conversations and recordings, they decided to plunge in, meet for a snowy week in Paris, and make music together that combined many of the genres they loved, and that they call “art-house orchestral pop..” (Norvmbega)

Hanna Kekäläinen

(contemporary music, solo piano)

“I grew up basically with my hands on the piano. I started taking lessons when I was 4 years old. Music is my core, part of my soul. With challenging times in life, I have always found myself sitting in my beige piano chair. I studied classical piano, but I fell in love with contemporary piano after seeing Jane Campion’s Piano, which features great music by Michael Nyman. That album revolutionized my relationship with playing. However, I ended up on a rather complex career path that went from playing the piano to writing and eventually to a career of more than a decade in various sales and marketing roles. A few years ago, I decided to jump off the squirrel wheel and create a certain kind of emptiness around me so that all my hidden gifts and passions could make room to emerge. I knew I wanted to live for beauty – to create beauty and experience beauty. I soon realized that I wanted to go back to my roots and after a long break I started teaching piano and thus supporting myself with music.

One day a friend of mine asked if I had ever tried to improvise or compose music myself. I hadn’t even thought about it, but I decided to try what would happen if I just put my hands on the piano keyboards and let go. And wow what happened! That improvisation session changed my life. I composed my first song Dance Of The Two Flames from that session and three other songs soon after. I don’t even remember composing those songs, they just literally came through me in a wonderful creative flow. Luckily, I recorded the sessions so I was able to write down the songs I played. Composing has also deepened my connection to music and all other forms of art and to life as art.” (Hanna Kekäläinen)

MAXKDCH

(modern classical, solo piano)

“MAXKDCH is a French pianist and composer who lives in Paris. He has been immersed in music since his earliest childhood. His father, a renowned pedagogue and pianist, passed on his passion for improvisation, classical and contemporary music, and composition. From a young age, MAXKDCH rubbed shoulders with jazz greats such as Martial Solal, Jean-François Jenny-Clark, and Eddie Gómez.
After graduating from the Conservatoire National de Région de Toulouse in piano and chamber music, MAXKDCH continued his musical studies by exploring the repertoire. He pursued his education at the Ecole Normale de Musique in the class of pianist Désiré N’Kaoua, while also taking courses in composition from Yoshihisa Taïra and Michaël Lévinas. MAXKDCH also had the opportunity to participate in a seminar with the great German composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, the hidden father of electronic music in Kürten, an experience that enriched his musical vision and inspired his compositions.
His passion for jazz led him to participate in the prestigious Martial Solal International Jazz Competition, where he reached the finals. He then founded a group that fused jazz and rap, for which he composed and played the piano. After four years of activity, the group disbanded.
Today, MAXKDCH combines the various stages of his training in his new solo piano project. He explores a musical universe that combines classical, rap, pop, and jazz in a minimalist style of composition.
He has recently collaborated with rappers Souffrance and Limsa D’Aulnay, for whom he composed and participated in live performances at venues such as La Machine du Moulin Rouge.”  (MAXKDCH)

Karen Salicath Jamali

(neoclassical, solo piano)

“Karen is a Multi Award-winning Composer, Pianist, and producer, and Professional American Artist, painter, sculptor, and photographer for the last 30 years, born in Denmark and living and working in NYC & Florida, is a voting member of the Recording Academy.

The Music Story: It wasn’t until an accident that caused a head injury and a near-death experience that Karen started to play the piano spontaneously, previously she had never played the piano, the head injury amazingly opened up a new world and she began to play and compose beautiful and meditative music, which healed her. The music will put the listener into a relaxed state of consciousness. The accident occurred in 2012, and after a 3-year-long recovery, in 2015 she suddenly began to hear music in her dreams and decided to record & play what she was experiencing. After seven years of playing, the result is 7 Albums, 2500+ compositions, and a million listeners. She has performed in Carnegie Hall seven times with her music.” (Karen Salicath Jamali)

Beach Ready

(cinematic, experimental)

“As musical director of Jack Adaptor (an avant pop band formed with Paul Frederick of Brit Pop forefathers The Family Cat over 20 years ago), an
instrumental solo artist, soundtrack composer and London based session musician Christopher Cordoba has garnered critical acclaim with an ever expanding and eclectic set of releases.” (Beach Ready)

Simeon Walker

(neoclassical, solo piano, cinematic)

“Leeds-based pianist & composer Simeon Walker has quickly emerged as a leading light in the burgeoning Modern Classical scene, following the release of ‘Mono’ and ‘Winnow’, his two albums to date. Simeon regularly performs and tours across the UK and Europe; has supported a variety of artists including S. Carey, LYR, Sebastian Plano, Loscil, Erland Cooper & Taz Modi; and performed notable live sets at Latitude & Timber Festivals. His latest single ‘Reverie’ features on the first official Piano Day compilation by the LEITER label, alongside Nils Frahm, Olafur Arnalds and Chilly Gonzales “ (Simeon Walker)

The Music

Christos Doukakis