Neoclassical Suite, LXXI

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

Ming Quay

(neoclassical, solo piano)

An emotive, solo piano piece about falling in love for the first time by Australian Ming Quay! Love at first….sound!

“Composer, Arranger & Producer. Piano is my main instrument of composition but I love to use the orchestra because of how it can support and enhance the emotions of the piano. I also enjoy exploring electronic sounds fusing them with diverse music cultures to create a future-retro post-apocalyptic soundscape where barriers of all forms are broken down.” (Ming Quay)

Matti Charlton

(crossover classical)

‘Falling Stars’ is a powerful piano piece, with a haunting piano “painting the words” for you…. A crossover classical beauty!

“I’m a transgender musical artist from Canada with autism, living in downtown Toronto with my dog Quentin.

I believe the world is what you make of it.

I am eccentric and intense. I have an energy about me. It’s my love for life, driven by my sense of humor. I am grateful and happy to be alive, and I see the world with all the love and wonder of a child, and always will, forever. If that is what you’d like, then talk to me. I’m on my way up with my music and I’m happy to share it with you. I’d love to know where you are and what means something to you. I want to build a future we can be proud of.

In February I converted my second bedroom into a studio. I’d been lucky enough to be trained in theory and many instruments as a child, but now I have committed to music as a career. I still kept some of my online businesses, like my vector art site and my books on amazon.

At the time I was in an abusive relationship with an alcoholic. Ending a four year relationship has been my greatest challenge this year. I’ve been finding it difficult to be alone.I think it is helpful to write down what we should be grateful for. The very fact that you are reading this on a computer or phone screen means that you and I are privileged. Whether earned or by luck, we are fortunate to have each other.

I believe the world is what we make of it. And I choose to make of it something beautiful.

I choose to take from the world only what I need so that I can make of it something more.

Find your bliss.

Discover yourself.

Sing your song.” (Artist’s Spotify) (Matti Charlton)

Chafa

(neoclassical, cinematic)

A highly cinematic neoclassical composition, with unpredictable ups & downs. Mysterious and transcendent!

“Chafa is an emerging pianist, producer, and composer based out of Los Angeles. He is currently preparing to launch onto the global music scene with his first two singles ready to drop imminently.” (Chafa)

Melany Thompson

(neoclassical, new age)

Pandemic lockdown and isolation has been creative for Melany Thompson, judging from this neoclassical/ne wage bijou….

“Melany Thompson is a pianist and composer from Sydney, Australia. Classically trained as a child from the age of 4, Melany had the honour of performing at the famous Sydney Opera House at the age of 12 and started writing her own music soon after. Melany has returned to her passion later in life, recording her debut album ‘Memories of Home’ in 2019. Described as ‘hauntingly beautiful’, her music is moody, evocative and serene.” (Melany Thompson)

Daniël Tomàs

(neoclassical, cinematic)

Dutch pianist and producer Daniël Tomàs’ ‘Onism’ is among those neoclassical creations that will grow on you with its addictive, moody vibe…

“The Dutch pianist and producer Daniël Tomàs (van der Duim) has been one with the piano from an early age on, since his grandmothers piano was situated in the living room from the moment he was born. It was this playful discovery that triggered him to further study jazz/pop piano at the ArtEZ Conservatory, focusing on improvisation. Throughout studying Daniël kept a specific passion for intimate, neo-classical piano pieces and in his master studies he decided to further deepen this sound by combining it with improvisation and electronics, with the help of the acclaimed pianist Jeroen van Vliet.

After studying Daniël mainly worked as musician, composer and producer for multiple pop, jazz and theater projects, like his jazz-trio: Doppler Trio or his productions for singer ELIËN. But the corona pandemic in 2020 forced him to stop performing and allowed him to focus on one of his biggest dreams: recording a successful solo piano record.

For four months in a row he started every morning with recorded improvisations, followed by writing down and organizing ideas on his childhood piano.

It was throughout this proces that he rediscovered the beauty of his childhood piano, being combined with felt before the hammers, which gives it an intimate mood. This led to the decision to fully record the piano in the same room as where he spent almost all of his childhood hours studying, resulting in the album: “Pintures”.

“Pintures” (- French for: “painting” but also meaning piano textures) is about the power of imagination.

Although the music is recorded from an introspective perspective, the effects and vocals are creating a whole new world ‘behind’ the music.

Every song is a new painting, it has its own journey through intimate and distant worlds, but always has the same intimate felt piano keeping you ‘home’ in a certain kind of way.

The titles are meant to create an extra dimension behind the music, creating an ambiance for the mind to wonder. Like the song title Ambedo, which means: “A kind of melancholic trance in which you become completely absorbed in vivid sensory details”.

The music can be described as atmospheric, narrative, neoclassical piano music in combination with etheric voices and droning synthesizers.

The album will be released end 2021/beginning 2022.” (Daniël Tomàs)

Ruben Fjellner

(neoclassical, meditative music)

A neoclassical composition about the mess of feelings when in love by Swedish composer Ruben Fjellner, is a pure meditative experience!

“Ruben Fjellner is a producer and composer from Umeå, Sweden. Formerly a member of the band Regimen with over 13 million streams on Spotify. His project is all about sharing musical ideas and improvisations with the world. A collection of thoughts, non-thoughts and insights.” (Ruben Fjellner)

Lucas van Kesteren

(neoclassical, solo piano)

The beauty of melancholy never sounded more familiar than in Lucas van Kesteren’s ‘Fracture’. An utterly loveable solo piano composition for all those “fractured souls”…

“Lucas van Kesteren (26) is a neo-classical composer and pianist based in the Netherlands. Growing up with a background in classical music, he combines these roots with his love for modern musical genres. He studied playing piano at the conservatory in Haarlem and at the time of his graduation he released his first single ‘Libra’ in 2021. The style of music is calm and intimate, he tells his story without words and he means every note.” (Lucas van Kesteren)