Ronald Van Deurzen
BIOGRAPHY
Ronald Van Deurzen is a pianist, composer & orchestrator of New Age, global fusion and cinematic music. His works include music for film, documentary, animation and other media projects. He has also worked with various bands, live-orchestra and released two independent albums. Ronald received the 1st place OWMR Oneness Award with his most iconic piece 'Hopeful Bliss', representing hope for global harmony and peace. He was nominated at the Hollywood Music In Media Awards for best song in the New Age/Ambient category, and was selected as a winner at the lnterContinental Music Awards in Best of Pangea - Newage. Ronald is currently working on his upcoming New Age album involving a variety of guest-musicians. He is also playing keyboards for Euphoria Station's next folk/progrock album, which will feature guitarvirtuoso Hoyt Binder, harmonicist Tollak Ollestad (ex Seal/Andrea Bocelli) and drummer Toss Panos (Sting) among others.
"...filled with passion and a positive intent and virtually guaranteed to be a huge success on its musical journey into our hearts..."
Steve Sheppard, One World Music Radio
The Dutch-born pianist started his musical journey at the age of 15, playing professionally for a Dutch-Belgian folk band and its dance company. As the youngest member in the band, he was given only 2 weeks time to learn 60 songs. He then performed several times per week at venues across the Benelux. This included playing gigs in many bars, restaurants and festivals. During these concerts, Ronald would often trade solos with the band's guitarist. Through his live experiences Ronald developed his style and musicianship on keys. This led him to spots as a keyboardist on numerous CD albums, including Honor Way Down (released on Progrock Records) & The Reverie Suite (folk/progrock), projects which received airplay on various online and FM radio stations with positive feedback in magazines such as Dutch Progressive Rock Page, Profil Prog, Fireworks UK, Rock In Spain, Prog Sphere, Swedenrock, Background Magazine and iOpages in The Netherlands.
"... exceptionally tasteful and technically highstanding..."
iOpages Progressive Rock Magazine
The desire for a calm and inspiring environment to compose his own music not constrained by stylistic limitations became strong. He moved to Sweden where he could be surrounded by the nature and built his own 'Static Noise Studio' at the local art collective 'Italian Palace'. Working from here with synthesizers, VSTs and audio recording, he got involved in composing music for various subsidized film, documentary and contemporary art music projects. He also lectured for university at the age of 21 and produced two New Age albums, Imaginations (2012) and Tale Of Dreams (2013), whose inspiration from the beautiful Scandinavian nature can be heard throughout. Ronald's New Age music has been featured in various shows on One World Music Radio, Shades of Classics (CKUW 95.9FM), Audiosyncracy (KTEP 88.5FM), Peaceful Radio/Zandvoort FM, RTV Ridderkerk 105.7FM & RTV Gouwestad's "Folk Roots" in The Netherlands, New Age Stars Radio, Enlightened Piano Radio and more. 'Imaginations' was also nominated for 'Best Piano with Instrumentation Album' by OWMR (UK).
"...it is easy to see why Van Deurzen is considered a musician of note within his field that of piano, orchestra, fusion and prog rock as Imaginations delivers the lot in one incantation or another..."
Janet Mawdesley, BlueWolf Reviews
His involvement with New Age & cinematic style music sparked an interest for ethnic instruments. This led Ronald to work for a period in Asia. While teaching at a Fine Arts Faculty in Thailand he got involved with Asian instruments and was commissioned to compose various pieces of music for the university. His orchestral arrangements were performed in concert with guest-musicians of Bangkok Symphony Orchestra. Performances include the piece 'Song of the Violin', a collaboration with Thai violinist/educator and professor Prapad Kwanpradub. The music combines the sound of classical orchestra with an intimate narrative on violin reminiscent of Asian folk music. The two were nominated at the InterContinental Music Awards in 2021. The duo also received recognition by national media outlets Khaosod and National News Bureau of Thailand (NNT). 'Song of the Violin' has since then even inspired several university instructors in Thailand, who have come up with their own arrangements, bringing new colors to the piece.
"...A dreamy, cinematic, nostalgic, classical, yet folksy collaboration between two great musicians that will linger long in your heart..."
NewAgeCD.com
Ronald has been a boardmember for several art associations and is an advocate of cross-cultural collaborations. He also teaches privately and is currently working on his upcoming book 'Ear Training In Context', a method that concentrates on multi-part solfege of multi-timbral arrangements to prepare students for real working-life situations in bands, orchestras and in the recording studio.
Following Ronald's involvement with sound-technology, he regularly experiments with electro-acoustic music/sound-art and synthesizers. His contemporary music is inspired by the music of Philip Glass, Natasha Barret and Steve Reich. Check out his electro-acoustic piece 'Tranceptive' commissioned by Media Artes, one of the country's primary concert-organisers for contemporary music/media art, supported by the municipality and the Swedish Arts Council (Statens Kulturråd).