Biography
Arjan Kiel (Dokkum, 1-12-1967)
1968 I think that the end tune of child’s puppet series De Fabeltjeskrant instilled in me as a little boy the love for the Hammond organ! And the Klaus Wunderlich LPs we had at home. I still think “Die golden sound of Hammond” is a brilliant album!
1976 My musical “career” started in 1976 at the music school in Dokkum on church organ and electronic organ, with Arie Goud as teacher. After a few years, the influence of pop and rock music started to grow, I was taught by my most important teacher ever Jacques Platenkamp, and I played as a keyboard player in various bands.
1989 In 1989 I started studying at the conservatory in Groningen, first a year of school music in the direction of classical and jazz/pop music. After that year I switched to jazz/pop music keyboards and piano. I owe a lot to both teachers Wim Dirriwachter and Matthias Scheffer, who taught me the basics and more of jazz piano and arranging. During this time I started working as an arranger for symphony orchestra and band (so-called prom concerts, together with, among others, the Dutch Promenade Orchestra and the Philharmonic Orchestra), I made various wind-, symphonic- and big band arrangements and as a keyboard player I accompanied Tony Hadley (Spandau Ballet), Ramses Shaffy, Toots Thielemans and Jan Akkerman.
1997 In 1997 I graduated from the conservatory, and started playing as a keyboardist and arranger for Debbie Sledge and Sister (‘We are family’) Sledge. Between 1998 and 2002 I toured with these bands through North- and South America, Russia and Europe.
2001-2007 In 2001 I joined Dutch reggaeband Luie Hond. This band toured all Dutch clubs and festivals for a number of years, including Lowlands, Zwarte Cross, Oerol, Noorderslag, Melkweg, 013, Paradiso. There were also radio and TV appearances. You can find nice YouTube videos with the search terms “luie hond eric corton”, “luie hond beter af rayman is laat ”, “luie hond met liefde album” and “luie hond in kenya”. One of the highlights was a performance at the SAWASAWA reggae festival in Nairobi, Kenya in 2007, supporting reggae legend Burning Spear.
In recent years I have focused on composing classical- and film music for symphony orchestra and symphonic choir.
2001 I have always loved classical music very much, which started with the music of Sergei Rachmaninov. A friend of mine had an LP of the second piano concerto, and the variations on a theme by Corelli, played by Lazar Berman. But also influenced by the film music of the Lord Of The Rings trilogy from 2001-2004, by Howard Shore, and the film music of John Williams, I started studying orchestration and film music.
2007 In November 2007 there was a musical collaboration with Jon Anderson (Yes, Jon and Vangelis) Yes has been a very important band for me. A band that inspired me to become a musician. Jon Anderson’s new album will be released in early 2023, 1,000 Hands Chapter II, and it will contain an arrangement for symphonic orchestra and choir that I made for Jon in 2007.
2008-2009 Keyboardist of band D-A-A-N.
2009 Thanks to my love for LOTR music, I came into contact with the makers of LOTR fan film Born of Hope. It was very nice working with them. I even made choir pieces in original Elvish translation.
Take/Leave 48 hour film, the winner of the 48 hour Christmas Special 2008 from the NCRV.
2012-2019 Between 2012-2019 I worked with de Club van Sinterklaas on their cinema films as a composer.
2013 I made scores for www.theonering.net.
2016-2018 I made scores for Frisian Film and Audio Archive, under wich at Frisian Film Festival.
2017 Film score for the feature film De Familie Slim.
2018 Arrangements for big band for rock opera Tommy, Joure.
Horn arrangements for horn quartet of the orchestra of the Kon. Air Force, and scores for Omrop Fryslan documentary “Yn it spoar fan Wellington R1397”.
2019 Audio arrangements orchestral and choral parts for Pink Floyd Project.
2020 Composing and recording own piano works, see Spotify.
2022 Collaboration with producer Michael Franklin on Jon Anderson’s new album, 1,000 Hands Chapter II, which features an arrangement for symphonic orchestra and chorus that I made for Jon in 2007.
2022 Release of my own piano work on Spotify.