DIRK MAASSEN

In the organizer's words:

Dirk Maassen is one of the most successful German neoclassical composers. He is internationally acclaimed for his moving, gentle and stylistically unique soundscapes. Over one million streams per month speak for themselves.

But Dirk Maassen also and above all inspires his audience live every time anew.
With unique feeling and impressive timing, he plays his works, which seem to magically reach the subconscious and open doors that previously remained undiscovered.

His musical career began as a child. On his first visit to St. Joseph's Church in his home town of Herzogenrath near Ulm, he was moved by the sound of the organ. "I discovered music very early on as something wonderful for me," he says. "And the way music is celebrated in church made a deep impression on me." His parents were also musical and let him try out the accordion and harmonica before he finally wanted to learn to play the piano at the age of ten. The organist at St. Joseph's actually took him into his care and Maassen learned to play the church organ and the piano at the same time. But instead of taking over the organ at some point, Dirk Maassen founded a synth-pop band with a few friends at the age of 14. Back then, he was not only fascinated by the sound of new and, for him, unfamiliar soundscapes, but also by the technical functionality of a synthesizer. The band may not have gone on to achieve international fame, but fortunately Maassen never let go of the music.

This was followed by an almost meteoric rise as a solo pianist, making him one of the most-streamed composers in Germany. His repertoire now comprises over 200 compositions - a small part of which we will be able to experience on October 5, 2024 in the Small Hall of the Elbphilharmonie, where Dirk Maassen will present his latest album Here And Now, among other things.