Neoclassical Suite, L

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

The Players

Julie Hanney

(neoclassical, solo piano)

Julie is a pianist, composer and teacher. Her music spans several genres from relaxing to contemporary classical to jazz to modern romantic. Writing music since she was a little girl, she received her formal music education at the University of Oregon where she graduated with a degree in music with special emphasis on piano and composition. She studied composition at the graduate level and is a published composer of works for piano, choir and various instrument combinations. She has arranged and composed music for the Jones Road String Quartet, the Bend Cello Collective, the Gospel Choir of the Cascades and various community, church and school choirs. Comfortable crossing many genres from classical to gospel and more, Julie loves to create unique soundscapes. Julie’s music has been described as “peaceful yet intriguing.”

Mikael Oterhals

(neoclassical)

I’m a classical pianist and composer located in Stockholm, Sweden. I’ve studied classical music, jazz music and composition for several years which resulted in composing mostly compose classical music, but with influence from other styles as well.

My debut EP “The End of the Begninning”, released on June 19, 2020, contains four piano pieces written and performed by me. The sound of the EP is classical but you can hear the modern influence from pop music thoughout the entire EP.

Kumi Takahara

(modern classical, ambient, dream pop)

Learning violin since the age of three, Tokyo artist Kumi Takahara went on to study classical music, graduating top of her class from Kunitachi College of Music. But away from academia, music only became truly important to Takahara after her sister passed away suddenly. It was through music that she was able to fill the void in her heart.

After a dissatisfying job within the world of classical music in Japan, Takahara decided to move to Vienna to continue her studies. There she was able to tour Europe, playing violin in classical concerts throughout the continent. Now based in Tokyo, she continues to play in classical concerts and has contributed her talents to the music of many artists, including aus, Anoice, KASHIWA Daisuke, World’s End Girlfriend and many more. See-Through is her debut solo album, four years in the making.

Remy Styrk

(neoclassical, soundtrack, psychedelic rock)

Remy Styrk is a composer and producer; born to a homeless heroin addict in Newark, New Jersey in February 1999. At the age of 14 months, he was adopted by a couple, the husband, a fashion photographer and wife, a creative director. The ability to tactfully drive a story on screen through melodies and rhythms quickly kept creeping into Styrk’s life. He knew he was a visual thinker and his ideas were 3D. Always curious about and inspired by Hans Zimmer’s score for the 2010 film “Inception”, he jumped in with both feet and followed that curiosity. This would, in turn, redefine how he felt about music and the creation of it. With each new texture he recorded, the instruments became the characters on screen. Their interactions with each other painting colors throughout the composition. Styrk had no doubt that film scoring was right for him.

Hideyuki Hashimoto

(neoclassical, solo piano)

Hideyuki Hashimoto (b. 1986) is a pianist/composer, currently based in Kagawa Japan. He utilizes space in his improvisational performances and composition. His music has a delicate spacial beauty with a feel of vivid imagery and has been appreciated as a work of superiority in an array of reviews published both in Japan and abroad.

Jone Ruiz

(acoustic, neoclassical, cover)

The modern era of music has given way to enigmas who break the norm of what we have come to expect as far as what an artist truly is. Jone is a classical guitarist that is creating video game music covers on guitar. He is a holder of a Master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and attained a Bachelor’s Degree in Classical Guitar from the Interamerican University. Jone Ruiz has performed nationally in Puerto Rico and has participated in different competitions around the United States. Jone Ruiz has had a vast array of musical influences; however, he accredits his music’s pivotal influences to Linda Chellouf and Rene Izquierdo, whom he studied through his degrees. He had the opportunity to play in masterclasses for artists such as Jorge Caballero, Ana Vidovic, and Berta Rojas. This all culminates in Jone Ruiz producing a musical experience that is enjoyable, easy-going, and fun. His overarching ambition is to create an immersive and emotive experience for people to enjoy their favorite game themes on the guitar. Jone Ruiz has covered from games like The Legend of Zelda, Pokémon, Mario, and more in his repertoire. His music exhibits not only his versatility and prowess but will surely cement his style and pave the way for the varied expressions of his musical ideas and artistic craft. This is the music that will push the boundaries of our perception and inspire and drive us to introspective conversations. It’s the music that may not change the world but can change the people in the world. (joneruizguitar.com)

Pietro Borradori

(neoclassical, cinematic, ambient)

The Italian composer and pianist Pietro Borradori approached the piano at the age of 8 and composition at the age of 11. He completed Academical studies in Composition and Piano at the Conservatory of Milan, becoming the youngest composition teacher in italian Conservatories. Later he left teaching to devote himself to music technology and composition.

He was recognized in the 1990s as a leading internationally renowned composer in the contemporary and experimental music scene, releasing LPs with BMG and other major labels, and working for the main european theathers and music institutions (WDR, RAI, IRCAM, RADIO FRANCE, BBC, Teatro Alla Scala and others).

Since 2015 his interest has shifted towards the neoclassical field, minimalism and electronic music. In Dual he seeks to integrate and mix traces of avant-garde minimalism with a new type of lyrical and imaginative music. He often uses acoustic processing with the aim of emulating an electronic sound. While the cellos are traditionally played, the piano in some pieces has been played with extended techniques (bows, strings, soft felt) to obtain a new type of piano sounds. The challenge is to mix tradition with innovation, to find a new synthesis beetween classical and experimental music.