Piano

Challem

Challem, born in Zoeterwoude, is on a journey to discover life. His emotions, voice, movements, and reactions are translated through his piano playing. The piano is an instinctive instrument for Challem, where his thoughts guide him and express themselves through his music. In 2022, Challem embarked on a bike tour through Scandinavia to minimize his ecological footprint. His debut EPs, Aparigraha and Santosha (Télès Music), have been widely acclaimed and have generated over 10 million streams across various platforms.

Pianist and composer Challem prefers to play "in the moment." He received his education at the Rotterdam Conservatory, among others. However, it was pianists Bert van den Brink and Joep Beving who challenged Challem to develop not only as a pianist but also as a person. His yearning for freedom and search for self led him to Spain, where music continued to captivate him. This journey resulted in his successful sequels, Aparigraha and Santosha.

Sessions

Check out Challem's sessions here

Moonlight Sonata at NPO Klassiek

The Great at NPO Klassiek

Settle at NPO Klassiek

Decor at NPO Klassiek

All The Best at Télès Music Session

Aves at Télès Music Session

Mama at Télès Music Session

The Great at Télès Music Sessions

Milestones by Challem

Sold-Out Shows for Challem’s European Tour

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Challem's European tour began with sold-out performances in Borines, Spain, and Sainte Livrade, France, both praised for their intimate and immersive atmosphere. Returning to the Netherlands, Challem delivered additional sold-out shows in Utrecht, Rotterdam, and Eindhoven, where audiences highlighted the excellent acoustics and his engaging stage presence. The tour continues with upcoming performances in Antwerp, Groningen, Mortagne-sur-Gironde, and Gijón. Additionally, Challem has released a new live album, Live At The Concertgebouw, featuring 12 tracks from his previous work, recorded live.

Challem featured on the March issue of Luister Magazine

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After the release of his debut album 'The Road', Challem was interviewed by the Dutch Luister Magazine. He talked about building his own home in Asturia and shared his views on priorities and making important decisions in life.

Listen to Challem's debut album here

Challem featured on the cover of Tidal’s Piano Studio

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After being named one of Tidal's Classical Artist To Watch in 2023, Challem is featured on the cover of Tidal's playlist 'Piano Studio'. This marks the release of his highly anticipated debut album 'The Road'.

Listen to Piano Studio on Tidal

Challem on the cover of Calm & Focused

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On October 20th 'Wail' by Challem was released, and not only did the song reach the playlist 'Calm & Focused', Challem is also the face on the cover! This was not the only exciting thing happening that day, Challem also announced that his album that is coming out next year will have its own release show on March 16th at Concert Gebouw.

Challem played at the Concertgebouw

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Challem had the amazing opportunity to play during Concertgebouw OPEN on the second of September. During Concertgebouw OPEN, guests can just wander around the building, while listening to the many artists performing, of which one was Challem. He was enchanting visitors with his piano in the Spiegelzaal.

Challem plays his own interpretation of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata on NPO Klassiek

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While appearing as guest on Dutch national programme De Muzikekfakbriek (NPO Klassiek), Challem performed his own tasteful rendition of Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata. He translated the classic composition into a modern, neoclassical piece. Picture source: AVROTROS

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Challem selected as classical artist to watch in 2023 by TIDAL

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After having a break-through start of 2023, gaining traction on major streaming platforms, Challem was rewarded with a feature on TIDAL. The streaming platform labelled Challem as a promising artist to watch in 2023. His potential as a neoclassical pianist and composer was recognized and he was featured in TIDAL's playlist 'Classical: Artists to Watch 2023'.

Stream Classical: Artists to Watch 2023

Radio 1 sees Challem as the piano talent

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Piano talent Challem could become 'the new Joep Beving', according to Radio 1. He was invited to the studio to talk about his new EP Aparigraha, but also delves into stories about cycling to concerts and his girlfriend Sanne.

NPO RADIO 1 Article on Challem

Streaming success for Challem

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After the release of Aparigraha with the singles Settle & Sanne (4 million streams), the Dutch pianist reaches a large audience again with his follow-up EP's Santosha and Far & Well. His single Decor was streamed across platforms no less than 5 million times. With over 200 thousand listeners per month on Spotify, Challem is slowly starting to build his fan base here as well.