Pieter de Graaf has found his cause with Fermata, his first solo project. That's how it feels for the pianist who, after his jazz studies at the Rotterdam Conservatory, played in countless bands, including his own Pieter de Graaf Trio. He became proficient in genres as diverse as jazz, pop, hip-hop and classical. Where he previously served other people's ideas, he now follows his own path. 'Everything comes together in Fermata', says Pieter de Graaf. 'All the steps I took in my musical development were apparently necessary to get to where I am now.' He started working in the studio with cellist Jonas Pap, the producer of Fermata, without making any concessions. Under their hands, the music came to life in an organic way: minimalist piano songs and richly arranged, more robust pieces with choir, strings and even a church organ. Fermata is a project because it is never finished. After all, as the music is recorded, it will never sound live. On stage, Pieter de Graaf is his own one-man orchestra, beautifully lit behind his piano, amid synthesizers and samplers. The neoclassical genre has undoubtedly gained a new star with Pieter de Graaf. The single A Minor Story is the first, moving proof of this.
