pianist / composer
After graduating from Conservatories in 1999 Frederik Croene developed a handful trajectories in which he reflects on the ever changing and multi-layered identities of the classical pianist. As the Gestalt of his instrument is grounded in 19th century romanticism, he still uses virtuosity to communicate about being a pianist. He played and recorded the classical repertoire and worked intensively with composers as Michael Beil, Johannes Kreidler, Simon Steen-Andersen, Michael Finnissey, Alexander Schubert and Stefan Prins. His formulation of the concept of Le Piano Démécanisé in an article and an LP-release in 2010 was a turning point in becoming a composer/performer.
With pianist Elisa Medinilla he founded PIANOGUIDE, a dynamic pianist think tank that develops concert events together with programmers and for which Croene composes new pieces. Other trajectories tend to focus more on transdisicplinary art with artist Karl van Welden, improvisation and intiutive performance/studio recording with Timo van Luijk a.k.a Af Ursin.
He is a piano teacher and leads the Vinim-atelier, a place for new music experiments. In a small venue in Merelbeke (BE) he curates PXP, a series of concerts with experimental music.
Graphic- & Webdesign:Mathieu Serruys & Joris Verdoodt
Frederik Croene is a pianist/composer based in Ghent, Belgium. On this website you’ll find his agenda linked to an overview of his trajectories and publications.
COVID-19
Cul de Sac in CC Hasselt & Concertgebouw Brugge are canceled. Minimal Piano at Concertgebouw and the concerts with Zefiro Torna are postponed, keep an eye on this website for further notices.
Multimodal Community Project on Transit Festival 2020
If COVID-19 permits, I will present a new piano recital worked out together with people from the local community using video and soundtrack. In collaboration with Matrix {New Music Centre} & Transit Festival.
Duet with Borokov Borokov
Frederik Croene appears on Deurenkomedie, track 6 on Borokov Borokov’s latest LP Enkel Duetten.
• listen
Six Cul de Sac live shows coming up
Check calendar for dates!
“His expressive concentration at the keyboard is worthy of Sviatoslav Richter broaching a Beethoven sonata.” — The Wire, July 2019
Ipnopedion LP now available!
From now on you can buy our (Timo van Luijk & Frederik Croene) new album Ipnopedion on Timo’s site: La Scie Dorée.
Frederik Croene / Ghost Trance Project at PostX
Ghost Trance Project is the result of a research project dedicated to performing and exploring the different interpretational possibilities of Anthony Braxton’s Ghost Trance Music (GTM) in both solo as group contexts. I will play a warm-up impro. Check agenda for info.
Trailer Cul de Sac
To announce the release of the Cul de Sac LP, we launched this video, shot in ‘De Vlaamse Ardennen’, video & concept by Karl Van Welden.
Ipnopedion LP release shows
©Ann Vervoort
Timo van Luijk and me will bring our new LP Ipnopedion 3x live! Check agenda for dates!
(Paysage en attente...)
You can now listen to a large fragment of (Paysage en attente…), a piece Daan Janssens composed for PIANOGUIDE (two piano’s and electronics). Recorded live during the Transit Festival 2019, performed by PIANOGUIDE (Elisa Medinilla and Frederik Croene) and Centre Henri Pousseur.
• listen
Curious Chamber Players at PostX
They come from Sweden and will play at PostX Merelbeke on 26th October!
New work with Karl Van Welden on Transit Festival 2019
With artist Karl Van Welden I worked on a new piece with a gigantic piece of felt cloth slowly descending while I play my music. A try-out of a bigger piece coming up somewhere in the near future.
With Elisa Medinilla I will also play a new piece for two piano’s and electronics by Daan Janssens.
With Nadar Ensemble for Wonderfeel, Odegand & Musica Strassbourg.
On Wonderfeel Festival in Hilversum, I will perform Key Jack by Michael Beil and a piece by Alexander Schubert: Point Ones, Key Jack and a piece by Lisa Streich in Sint-Jacobskerk Ghent for Odegand, and on Musica Strassbourg I will join Nadar Ensemble for Exit to Enter by Michael Beil.
La Scie Dorée X Meakusma
Very nice gig coming up with Timo van Luijk; Tom James Scott, Ecka Mordecai & Andrew Chalk.
Key Jack performances in Bruges
Key Jack is a piece for a pianist with live video processing, composed by Michael Beil and commissioned by Frederik Croene. First premiered at Voyages au bout du Piano at Bijloke Muziekcentrum. In Bruges I will play the piece 5(!) times, Thanks to Nadar Ensemble.
• watch video • more info
Fortune de Mer, new album with Timo van Luijk available now
Really happy with this new LP, after a 10 years hiatus!
• info & order • listen
With Nadar Ensemble in Concertgebouw Brugge & Göteborg
Playing Exit to Enter by Michael Beil, May 15th in Göteborg & March 29th in Bruges.
Mars II LP release / Fortune de Mer LP release / playing Cul-de-Sac at The Volcano Notes
© Karl Van Welden
I will play two new pieces for the solo expo of Karl Van Welden and the last part of Mars II, with Karl.
Timo van Luijk (Af Ursin) will play a solo set.
Mars II in situ version at Festival van Vlaanderen Kortrijk
© Karl Van Welden
In this musical performance Karl Van Welden works with the impact of volcanic ash on music and on the pianist (Frederik Croene) who produces the music. At the outset, volcanic ash particles fall gently and harmlessly enough. After a while, the dark volcanic ash rains down exponentially on the musician and his instrument, slowly but surely transforming the sound and image.
Reinier van Houdt, Peter Fengler & Evelin Brosi, Elvis Bonier in PostX
A concert full of surprises. Reinier (piano) and Peter (performance, word, sound) come from Rotterdam.
Boris Van den Eynden comes all the way from Antwerp and became infamous with Borokov Borokov.