Pianist Albert van Veenendaal stimulatingly steers a middle course between intelligent abstraction and melodic lyricism.
(de Volkskrant)
Albert van Veenendaal (The Netherlands, 1956) studied piano at the Amsterdam Conservatory. In 1982 he won the Meervaart Jazz Competition and has since then been working with many national and international jazz-, world- and classical musicians throughout all of Europe. He founded various groups of his own as well as playing solo concerts. He composed for and accompanied theatre- and dance companies and works as composer/arranger/producer.
During the past years Albert van Veenendaal toured the Dutch theatres with – among others – his trio "Pavlov" presenting a project round and about Sinatra. In 2001 he founded the Four Piano Quartet Travelling Light where he played with Rob van den Broeck, Cor Fuhler and Sylvie Courvoisier. He won the Dutch Jazz Competition of 2001 with his trio "On the Line". Van Veenendaal also functions as teacher and leader of workshops and organized a multidisciplinary festival:The Evening of the Longest Night. Recently he has been composing for the reed instrument Quintet "Calefax" and took part in a series of literary concerts around well known Dutch writers. Presently he plays with various groups on Dutch stages.
Van Veenendaal's compositional works are supported by the "Fonds voor de Scheppende
Toonkunst" – a trust for creative music. Albert van Veenendaal refers to himself as pictorial musician because of the epical and cinematic character of his music. Improvisation and composition go hand in hand and merge seamlessly. With an open approach and interaction with his fellow musicians he creates musical constructions that are unconventional and intuitive displaying his unique style that will instantly be recognized.
"It is important to me to make music with out having appointed ideas in advance about how the music is supposed to sound. The music should arise from where one is playing and not only during improvisation. I want written material to sound like that as well. What I call 'pictorial music' is about passion, risk and skill, not to forget the musician's personality. The intensity of a good concert is like balancing on the edge of a razor blade."
Van Veenendaal also engages in expanding the sound of a grand piano by preparing it accordingly. Also the use of electronics and playing samples have become an important part of his activity as a performing musician. At the same time he is interested in collaborating with other art forms such as film, dance and pictorial art.
Van Veenendaal has a style with vision. A man with his own sound: wayward, personal and catchy.
(De Twentsche Courant)
