Neoclassical Suite, XLVII

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

The Players

Pietro Borradori

(neoclassical, cinematic)

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.

Denhollander

(neoclassical, cinematic)

For over 25 years Remco Den Hollander – ‘Denhollander’ – (1971) has been active as a musician; although always in service of others. Through the years, he has been part of numerous bands, worked on a diversity of projects, and as a session musician he has played on quite a few studio albums. Despite the pleasure he found in doing this, he drifted astray from his own story; a story about loneliness and loss, but most of all about music.

From an early age, being a sensitive and only child, he discovered music as a creative outlet and a way to express himself. Remco often found himself alone and therefore created a musical dream world to disappear into. Since his parents were engaged entrepreneurs, it seemed likely that he would take over the business in time. Still, against all expectations, he decided to go a different way and developed himself in the field of photography, design, and music. When his father unexpectedly died way too soon, it became clear to Remco that he should not postpone his plans. His energy belonged in his own project, not in the work of others; Denhollander was born.

Jakub Szybiak

(neoclassical)

Jakub Szybiak is a music composer, producer and multi-instrumentalist based out of Kraków (Poland). His singles were featured on editorial playlists such as ‘Pure Focus’ (by Apple Music) and ‘Classical New Releases: Spotify Picks’. Since last year, he has also been writing production music for media. He is a BMI member.

Borrtex

(modern classical, epic music)

Borrtex is a young piano composer from Prague, Czech Republic. His music got featured in over 3,000 international projects, including titles of Netflix, Showtime, HBO, Warner Brothers and more. His work also appeared in commercial placements of global brands such as Montblanc, Xiaomi, IKEA and others. His 2019 song thōughts was ranked TOP 30 in classical genre category on Apple Music. Borrtex’s full name is Daniel Bordovsky, he has been playing the piano since the age of 6, but decided to start producing his own music at the beginning of May 2017, when he visited Los Angeles and met James Newton Howard, who inspired him with his character and personal attitude to composing. Since then, Borrtex has officially achieved over 100,000,000+ total music streams on platforms like Spotify, YouTube etc…

Umeå Bodø

(neoclassical, new age)

New Age piano music. Inspired by the deep sea, Scandinavian landscapes and composers like Yiruma, Joep Beving, Ólafur Arnalds and many others. Umeå is a city in eastern Sweden, known for its museums and cultural institutions. Bodø is the capital of Nordland county, Norway. It is located just north of the Arctic Circle.

Neptune Orizon

(neoclassical)

Neptune Orizon is the project created in 2013 by Florian Martinez, multi-instrumentalist from the south of france. He evolves in Triphop, Downtempo and Chillout Music mixing acoustic and electronic. An organic sound full of melancholy and engaged lyrics that most of the time are about modern time problems, environment, psychology and introspection. In 2018, he began a parallel journey to compose for other artists, including Eva May’s first album for which he composed the music, made the arrangements and mixed.

Largely inspired by the skateboard culture, his influences range from Hip Hop to Rock’n Roll, from Damon Albarn to Oddisee, to Dauwd and Pretty Lights, his music reflects a wide cultural spectrum. In 2014 he released his first single « Afterglow » followed by 2 Ep’s, « Gears » and « Black Friday » at the time Neptune Orizon made mainly instrumental music. His first album «Dancing Shadows» released in 2016 includes lyrics for the first time, he collaborates with Vay who lends his voice on three songs of this record.

Florian Martinez has long thought about how to perform on stage, it is in 2014 that he takes his first steps in front of an audience during private events, performing alone with : guitar, bass, sampler and keyboard. In 2015, a theatre program Neptune Orizon for three weeks of the Festival Off d’Avignon, with Frange Graphisme they set up an audio-visual experience involving music, 3D mapping and dance. After that, he will perform in some local theatres and more recently on the stage of the « Mèze Handpan Festival ». He also accompanies Eva May on stage.

Innocenzo Genna

(neoclassical, cinematic)

Innocenzo Genna, called also Inno, has always lived music in multiple dimensions: as a musician, firstly performer and entertainer, and then composer, but also as a technology scholar. His interest in music is not only artistic and emotional, but also professional, because for years Inno has been working in the Internet and technology sector as a lawyer and policy expert, so as to be involved in the major political debates concerning music and technology: from P2P to online piracy, from online platforms to the liberalization of collecting societies, up to the recent European copyright reform.

Such an intense professional activity enriched Inno’s musical vocation, while adapting his classical practice with modern and pop piano, blues and jazz, so as arranging the various genres into a personal compositional style. The many trips in Italy and abroad have contributed to creating the context of images, memories and fantasies from which his compositions are born.