Welcome to the website of the piano duo Martijn and Stefan Blaak!
The brothers, who graduated with honors, are considered specialists in playing on two pianos and four-hand piano playing. They can show you why this form of music-making was so popular centuries ago.
Musical enjoyment, playing pleasure, and a visual spectacle are all part of the experience with these two outstanding musicians.
Their repertoire, ranging from Baroque to contemporary, offers not only magnificent original works but also transcriptions of orchestral pieces, allowing you to experience a composition in a whole new way.
According to Ton Hartsuiker, the piano duo Martijn and Stefan Blaak is an asset to our chamber music culture.
About US
The piano duo Martijn and Stefan Blaak graduated with distinction from the Messiaen Academy, the Netherlands, where they studied with Fred Oldenburg and Pierre Ruhlmann. They have won several prizes, including the Princess Christina Concours, Young Music Talent, Holland and the Concours Modern, Weimar. They received "De Voorziening", a scholarship for outstanding young musicians which enabled them to study under Ton Hartsuiker, famous interpreter of new music. The piano duo give concerts all over Europe, including the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium, Austria, Spain, France and Italy. They are regularly invited to perform in international music festivals such as the Grachten Festival in Amsterdam and "La settimana d'arte di Cecina" in Italy. They performed at the music festival in Aix-en-Provence, France, which was broadcast live by Radio France. As well as giving concerts with various symphony orchestras, the piano duo Martijn and Stefan Blaak have made several radio and TV recordings for the national broadcasting companies in Holland and Germany. The brothers Martijn and Stefan Blaak also play new pieces especially written for them by composers like David Rowland, Francis Shaw, Diderik Wagenaar and Chiel Meijering. The piano duo Martijn and Stefan Blaak were participants in "Début", a concert tour in which they played in all the major concert halls in the Netherlands, including The Concertgebouw, Amsterdam, De Doelen, Rotterdam, Dr. Anton Philips Zaal, The Hague and the Muziekcentrum Vredenburg in Utrecht, where they are regular guests nowadays. On their first CD "Stadium" they play works by a.o. Brahms, Schubert and Debussy. Their second CD "Vesalius" contains work by Rachmaninoff, Ravel and Swerts.
Next Tours
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Repertoire
Our repertoire goes from baroque music to brand new pieces, so we can show the full range of what the piano duo can do. We play original works written for two pianos and for piano four hands, but also our favourite orchestral pieces in special versions for piano duo, so listeners can hear familiar music in a clear, direct way. We love combining well-known composers such as Brahms, Schubert, Debussy, Rachmaninoff and Ravel with music by living composers. Several composers, including Chiel Meijering, Diderik Wagenaar, Francis Shaw and David Rowland, have written new works especially for us, and we enjoy giving these pieces their first performance. In our programmes we like contrast: intimate miniatures next to powerful, almost orchestral works, and classical masterpieces next to surprising discoveries. This way every concert becomes a journey through different styles, colours and moods, always built around the unique sound of two pianists playing as one.
Past Concerts & Highlights
In recent seasons we have continued to perform widely, from intimate Dutch concert series to international stages and festivals. Our concerts have included programmes at respected venues such as Het Concertgebouw and De Doelen, broadcasts for radio and television in several countries, and special projects like festival appearances and themed concerts that present the piano duo in fresh, creative ways.