Tom Kristiaan from Jabbeke is a pianist and neoclassical composer. His dreamy piano compositions have been listened to worldwide more than 40 million times and his album "Petites Danses et Rêveries" was nominated for the Edison Music Awards.
Now he releases his sixth album: "Bedtime Stories". That means 6 albums in 6 years. The album contains 10 instrumental piano compositions. 10 little stories for bedtime.
"Every composition is a story for me. Playing piano and composing is telling a story, but without words."
How did the album come about?
"Often I hear from people that they listen to my music to calm down and forget the stress of the day. Recently, a lady asked for an album because she had trouble falling asleep. I thought that was such a beautiful thought. Never imagined my music would serve to help people relax or fall asleep! Later I read that 1/3 of people suffer from insomnia or difficulty falling asleep. Soon the idea of Bedtime Stories was born."
The album
With tracks like 'Sweet Dreams', 'Under the Moonlight' and 'Twinkling Star', Kristiaan surprises with very cheerful, positive pieces. But he also brings stories around intimate moments before bedtime with compositions like 'Night Kiss', 'Fairytales' and 'Holding You', which capture the moments of 'reading a story' and putting children to sleep.
And pieces like 'Gently falling into Dreams', 'Close your Eyes' and 'Somnolence' touch on the meditative with wavering notes that slowly build to unfold into a heavenly melody to drift away to.
You read it right: "Bedtime Stories" brings a beautiful mix of calm atmospheres with soft, dreamy melodies that bring a touch of peace and beauty into our stressful existence. Slightly less melancholic than what we're used to from Kristiaan, but just as dreamy and accessible as his previous albums.
The album is available online from October 17 on all streaming platforms such as I-tunes, Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, …
Concerts
The album will be officially presented on November 9 at 10:30 in the Ryelandtzaal in Brugge (€15/pp) and later at other locations, such as on February 7 in the Felt Room in Berlin. More info at www.tomkristiaan.com/concerts.
Production and distribution
Artwork and distribution were done by the record label Andante Piano (Disruptive Records B.V.) from Amsterdam. Mixing and mastering was done by Markus Nordlung (Sweden).
Bio Tom Kristiaan
Tom Kristiaan is a pianist, accordionist and composer. He started music lessons at age 9. He studied piano at the Stedelijk Conservatorium in Brugge, and later also jazz piano, accordion, music theory, composition, etc. at conservatories in Brugge, Oostende and Avelgem/Kortrijk.
He released 6 albums with neoclassical piano compositions. Characteristic are the soothing, dreamy and sensitive melodies in the style of Ludovico Enaudi and Yann Tiersen. Always with a layer of melancholy.
Various works were used on television (VTM) and radio. With his third album "Petites Danses et Rêveries" (2022) he broke through worldwide with more than 40 million streams in more than 180 countries. The track "Un sourire et une larme" was called a "Lekkere Track" by NPO4 and the album was nominated for the Edison Classical Public Prize (the Dutch equivalent of the Mia's) together with Hans Zimmer and Max Richter.
With his fourth album 'Inspired by Nature' (2023) he transformed nature images by Wouter Pattyn, renowned nature photographer and author of "Wild van Europa" (Lannoo) into music. He gives memorable live concerts in combination with the nature images.
And in his fifth album 'Moods' (2024) Kristiaan was inspired by the feelings and emotions we experience every day with tracks like 'Doubt & Hesitation', 'Wandering in Thoughts' and 'Reminiscence' about regret, doubt and musing, but also positive tracks like 'Blessedness', 'Falling in Love' and 'Laughing in the Rain'.
He collaborated with various international artists, such as Adrien de la Salle (Canada), Matthew Adam (UK), Dennis Korn (Germany) and John Vegard Schow (Norway). And last year he created the EP "De Lage Landen" with Dutch composer Ron Adelaar, an album about the region that connects both our countries.
On November 6, 'Morgontankar' is also released, a joint project with the successful Danish-Swedish pianist Rasmus H Thomsen.