‘It’s natural for me to explore and connect the dots. I myself am a mixture of the artistic research I do throughout my life and my love for icons of jazz like Lennie Tristano or Wayne Shorter.’
The improvisational now
‘There’s nothing more exhilarating than transforming musical traditions of centuries into a single point in time: the improvisational now.’
‘Jazz, Western classical music and Middle Eastern music are deeply rooted within my system. Foreign techniques drive my search for original ways of composing. I love to make rich harmonies and poetic rhythms collide and merge, preferably in fascinating meters such as 23/8 or 11/4.’
Percussionist Vinsent Planjer and bass player Tony Overwater are of like mind. The Rembrandt Trio have travelled the world with original compositions, and collaborate with jazz colleagues like Paolo Fresu and Sylvain Rifflet.
‘Rembrandt Frerichs’ playing is as memorable as his first name: a young musician with remarkable chops who’s also developed an easily-recognisable
— All About Jazz
personal style.’
The classical now
‘When Mozart performed, he played Mozart. And he improvised. In that respect, I might be closer to the old composers than many contemporary classical musicians.’
Strong personalities embrace Rembrandt’s contemporary way of working with classical structures as a challenge to get out of their comfort zone. Among them are Liza Ferschtman and Rick Stotijn (Netherlands), Kian Soltani, Mahan Esfahani and Dominic Seldis (United Kingdom).
Classical ensembles invite Rembrandt for compositions or collaboration, such as Holland Baroque, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, Cello Octet Amsterdam, New European Ensemble and the Cello Biennale. Musicians of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra have commissioned a piano concerto to be premièred in 2021.
Shaping new piano sounds
For the purpose of better blending with early instruments such as kamancheh and târ, the Rembrandt Trio developed an alternative sonic layout.
The 18th century fortepiano, forerunner of the modern grand piano, can be tuned like a santur, the Persian cimbalom. The violone dates from the early Renaissance; it precedes the double bass. With six strings and lighter timbre, it can fulfill a melodic, harmonic as well as a bass function. The Whisper Kit, an invention by Vinsent Planjer, brings together percussion instruments from various cultures and periods, creating a rich rhythmic basis.
The Rembrandt Trio performs on a regular basis with some of the most iconic stars in world music, such as masters of Persian music Kayhan Kalhor and Hossein Alizadeh.
‘One of the highlights of the North Sea Jazz Festival’
— Jazz Magazine
Artistic initiator
Festivals seek after Rembrandt’s expertise and ability to create unorthodox musical connections by giving him carte blanche on programming.
Among them are contemporary music festival November Music, literature festival Crossing Border and Classical Encounters The Hague, and renowned concert halls such as Concertgebouw Amsterdam, De Doelen Rotterdam and TivoliVredenburg Utrecht (Netherlands).
With the Rembrandt Trio, he initiates a yearly series ‘Music made in Europe’, celebrating the best of European jazz and improvised music, with guests such as Paolo Fresu (Italy), Vincent Peirani and Sylvain Rifflet (France) and Verneri Pohjola (Finland).
In cooperation with leading museums in the Netherlands, the trio explores the space for musical improvisation and visual arts in ‘The Art Of The Trio’.
‘In the composition Zombi Zua by Misha Mengelberg, Rembrandt is an alter ego of the composer, his playing being so obstructive and headstrong.’
— Friesch Dagblad
Rembrandt is professor Jazz piano at the Conservatory of Utrecht. As a guest teacher he regularly works with new generations at the conservatories of Padova (Italy), and Rotterdam, Groningen, Amsterdam and Den Haag in the Netherlands.
Many of his compositions have been used for TV documentaries and theatre plays.
Rembrandt plays a Chris Maene fortepiano especially built for him by and on very kind loan from the Dutch Musical Instruments Foundation.
In addition to the selected discography, albums released with Rembrandt as leader include:
- Self Portrait (2006, debut album)
- Ordem & Progresso vol. I & II (2009)
- Sehnsucht (2010)
- Levantasy (2011)
- Continental (2012)
- Acoustic Compass –feat Oded Tzur(2013)
- A Long Story Short (2014)
- Living Here (2017)
- The Contemporary Fortepiano (2018)
- It’s still autumn – feat. Kayhan Kalhor (2019)
- Graffiti Jazz (2020)
- Same Self, Same Silence — feat Hossein Alizadeh ( 2021)
- A Wind Invisible Sweeps Us Through The World (2021)
- Piano Concertos #1 & 2 —Alma Quartet & Dominic Seldis (musicians Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra) 2022
- The Standards collection volume 1. Efraim Trujillo (sax) & Rembrandt (2022)
- Rembrandt Trio & Mohamed Motamedi “Intizar” (2023)
- Rembrandt & Staps Quartet ‘The First at Last” (2023)
- Kayhan Kalhor / Erdal Erzincan & Rembrandt Trio (scheduled for 2024)