Daan Vandewalle, pianist
© Daan Vandewalle
In 1996, American critics described Daan Vandewalle’s first solo CD (Charles Ives, Concord Sonata and Studies) as … he (Daan Vandewalle) puts many American classical musicians to shame …
Daan Vandewalle enjoys an international reputation as new music specialist, with a strong focus on 20th century American piano music. He studied at the Conservatory of Ghent, Belgium with Claude Coppens and at Mills College, California with Alvin Curran. He specialized in contemporary American piano music and gave concerts and lectures devoted to American music throughout the world. He is a fellow of the Belgian-American Educational Foundation and teaches piano at the conservatory of Ghent, Belgium.
Ever since his debut in 1992 (Ars Musica), his recitals and projects have increasingly become more diverse and challenging. He improvised together with David Moss, Fred Frith, Han Bennink, Chris Cutler, Tom Cora in festivals all over Europe.
He played all the piano works by Charles Ives and Messiaen, the Ligeti Piano Concerto, the Lutosławski Piano Concerto, the seldom-heard Çogluotobüsisletmesi by Clarence Barlowe and Sonatas and Interludes by John Cage, as well as Sorabji’s Opus Clavicembalisticum.
His programs are often highly unusual both on a technical or intellectual level, often combining the classical repertoire (Mussorgsky-integrale, the entire set of Chopin studies) with premieres of new works written especially for him by Frith, Newman, Rzewski, Curran, De Alvear, Barlowe.
He collaborated with many music ensembles (The Simpletones, Champ d’Action, Tense Serenity, Vapori del Cuori, Sonic Youth) and formed a piano-duo with Geoffrey Douglas Madge.
Daan Vandewalle was awarded the Jeanne and Willem Pelemans prize 2000 by the union of Belgian composers.
In 2005 he released a 4-CD box dedicated to the entire INNER CITIES piano marathon by Alvin Curran (long distance/Harmonia Mundi).
Further information can be found on the artist’s webpage: www.daanvandewalle.com