Michiel Borstlap: Velvet

Michiel Borstlap , Pianist, composer and embodiment of a new generation of muscians with a more 'out of the box' attitude. Composer of the first Arabic opera, he has performed with Ludovico Einaudi and Gino Vannelli. Blessed with a virtuoso playing technique Michiel Borstlap remains the Pianist on a search for a balance between the mind, heart and gut, going back to the roots of music that originates from chords, melody and rhythm. Since he focussed more on playing solo, the heart has a more predominant place in his music. “You sail on your senses to bring both yourelf as well as the audience into a certain mood.” In the albums that have come out since that choice was made, one can hear how the music rids itself from ballast, how silence finds a place between the notes. The ‘less is more’ creeps into the music. Michiel Borstlap can bend it to his will even though we hear whispers of Chopin, Skriabin, Satie or Philip Glass. In a sense in his approach he is the forerunner of stars like Nils Frahm or Ludovico Einaudi. Now there is a printed folio containing most of the compositions from the CD “ Velvet ” which was released this year, complemented by 4 compositions from the 2014-CD “Frames”. “ Velvet ” is Michiel’s   second printed folio since the release of the 2013 “Piano Solo”.