Who’s looking for a peaceful moment with meditative piano songs? Contemporary pianists have been pushing the boundaries of instrumental piano music for quite some time now. Amongst the more known piano players of today, such as Olafur Arnalds, Nils Frahm, Lyubomyr Melnyk, Ryuichi Sakamoto and many more, there is an underlying current of amazing independent, talented artists, and we’ve been lucky to have some of these great performers come through our door and share their magic with Sofar audiences around the world. Their music is captivating and peaceful, almost like a calm after the storm. Here are five meditative piano songs.
1. Davide Brullo – Through the Storm | Sofar Udine
Davide Brullo‘s performance really paints a picture and proves once again how music can tell a wonderful story without any words. In this case, Davide takes the listeners through a metaphorical storm, as you can almost hear the rain falling and the thunder rumbling with each touch of the black & white keys. Enjoy his performance at Sofar Udine.
2. Hania Rani & Dobrawa Czocher – Chwile | Sofar Warsaw
A powerful storyteller and composer, Hania Rani seamlessly mixes piano with synths and electronics to create atmospheric musical journeys. The Polish pianist and composer has collaborated with the likes of Portico Quartet, recorded a concert for Arte TV and performed sold out shows at London’s Roundhouse and Hamburg’s Elbphilharmonie. It’s an honor to have welcomed her on our Sofar stage in Warsaw back in 2016 where she performed with collaborator Dobrawa Czocher. This one felt like a must for our meditative piano songs.
3. Luciano Supervielle – Sabelo | Sofar Montevideo
Luciano Spervielle sure knows how to build a cinematic experience with his performance of the piece “Sabelo”. What an epic journey it is from its melancholic beginning to the Gotham-esque soundscape to finish it off. The crowd at Sofar Montevideo was transfixed, and you might find yourself mesmerized as well.
4. Karim Kamar – Big Red Balloon | Sofar London
When you’re feeling stuck or overwhelmed, meditative piano songs are definitely one of the things that’ll help you find your way again. It can also serve as a tool of self-reflection, motivation, and inspiration. Karim Kamar has translated that feeling beautifully into his composition “Big Red Balloon” (one, not 99 of them). As he says it himself before the performance at Sofar London, “you’ve got to dig deeper to reach a higher level.”
5. Ed Carlsen – Close | Sofar Montréal
Growing up on the Mediterranean island of Sardinia, Ed Carlsen has always drawn his musical inspirations from traveling and living in different cities around Europe. It surely reflects in his beautifully crafted compositions. Accompanied by a wonderful string arrangement and bird songs, his composition “Close” wraps the listeners in a warm nostalgia of a carefree summer’s day. Enjoy this performance from Sofar Montréal.
Words by Kristaps Bedritis
Photo credit: Karim Kamar performs Sofar London, photo by Julian Peters
Looking to feel some of these peaceful vibes live? Explore live Sofar concerts near you.
