Daan Oostdam

Daan Oostdam (born 1997) is a classical pianist living in Amsterdam. He has a deep affinity for the Romantic piano repertoire: “I absolutely love composers like Rachmaninov, Medtner, and Chopin because I am captivated by the lyrical expressiveness and drama in their music.”

Daan frequently performs solo piano repertoire. Additionally, he aims to play with others as often as possible, as there are few things more enjoyable than making music together. As a chamber musician, he is active with his piano trio ‘Riedbach,’ named after a beautiful spot in the Swiss Alps where all three members have fond memories. He also forms a duo with cellist Simon Velthuis. In 2023, they were guests on NPO 4 to present their upcoming album featuring works by Bloch, Rachmaninoff, Chopin, and Saint-Saëns.

In 2024, he will be recording a solo CD with 7 Mountain Records dedicated to the works of Nikolai Medtner, and he will record an album with his cello-piano duo under Teles music label.

Daan draws a lot of inspiration from nature. As a child, he grew up in an old farmhouse, and his parents often took him and his sister to the mountains. Nowadays, he makes long mountain hikes every summer. “I believe that nature makes no aesthetic mistakes. Often I head to the mountains or seek out water, and I always return a different person. Lighter, if I left with a heavy heart; inspired, if I was at a dead end. Nature helps me feel what’s important.”

Over the past few years, he has won awards at various competitions, including the Prinses Christina Concours, Prix Dominique, and the ArtEZ young talents program. He also regularly participates in festivals such as the Francigena International Arts Festival, the International Chamber Music Festival Schiermonnikoog, and the Internationaler Musiksommer Campus Cleve. In 2023, Daan was invited to participate in the l’Academie Musicale de Villecroze. He attended classes with musical greats like Avedis Kouyoumdjian, Lilya Zilberstein, Jan Wijn, and Aleksandar Madzar, thanks to the support of the Stringendo music fund.

Besides his development as a pianist, Daan finds great inspiration in teaching. Since 2019, he has been working as a teacher: “I want to pass on my love for music because I know how wonderful it is to discover and grow in your own musicality. I want to share this discovery and growth with my students.”

When he’s not at the piano, you can often find him outdoors, on the water, on the tennis court, or planning his next mountain trip.