Celebrated for her fresh approach to bringing piano music to life, Dutch-Russian pianist Daria van den Bercken is regarded as 'a role model for future musicians.'
Her passion is to actively reach as many people as possible, enticing both classical music enthusiasts and new audiences. As Artist-in-residence with the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra in 2016, she showcased all aspects of her successful approach, both in solo concerts and ensemble performances, as well as in educational and social initiatives.
Daria's recordings of Händel and Mozart for Sony Classical International have garnered praise from the press for her 'blend of joy and ease,' 'musical devotion, and impeccable virtuosity.' 'By allowing expressive freedom and poetic emotionality,' Daria could 'hold the keys to Mozart's music in her hands.'
In 2017, she released her highly anticipated third recording for Sony, conceptualized with an innovative audiovisual statement about the music of Scarlatti.
Daria explores the full spectrum of piano repertoire, as a soloist in concert halls and major festivals and through her passionate engagement with chamber music. In her recordings and personal initiatives, she likes to shed light on specific composers and collaborate with artists in other fields, which she considers akin to playing chamber music, in discovering new insights together.
Daria have played with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France and Ton Koopman and with the Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra and Stefan Asbury, Guanajuato Symphony Orchestra and Roberto Beltran-Zavala, and the North Netherlands Symphony Orchestra and Arvo Volmer. Previous performances include the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and conductors Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Shi-Yeon Sung and JoAnn Falletta, Arnhem Philharmonic Orchestra and Christoph Poppen, and the Radio Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Jun Märkl.
One of Daria's newest projects focuses on specific aspects of Mozart's music, seen in a broader concert perspective. She helps audiences appreciate that we encounter universal aspects of Mozart's music in our daily lives as well. In the 2016-17 season, the Keys to Mozart program on "Elegance" successfully toured with the South Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra and conductor Jonathon Heyward.
As a concert pianist, Daria has made frequent appearances at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and recently debuted at Baroque Unwrapped in Kings Place and It’s all about Piano Festival in London, New Ross Piano Festival in Ireland, Baroque Conversations series at Zipper Hall in Los Angeles, Istanbul Music Festival, and Konzerthaus Vienna.
In 2017, Daria, together with pianist Frank Braley, developed a two-piano program at the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ in Amsterdam. With the combined creative forces of film, new compositions, stage design, and contributions from a philosopher, the project "Playfulness," another key aspect of Mozart's music, was explored.
Daria studied at the Indiana University Jacobs School of Music with Menahem Pressler and Leonard Hokanson and at the Amsterdam Conservatory with Mila Baslawskaja and Naum Grubert. She won the Dutch Classical Talent Award in 2006 and 2008, both as a soloist and as a chamber musician, and the prestigious Amsterdam Prize in 2012, and has appeared in a weekly series on classical music on Dutch primetime TV. Daria is a Steinway Artist.
Keys to Music Foundation In 2016, Daria founded the Keys to Music Foundation, embracing the world outside her own field of musical expertise as inspiration for future projects. Universities, companies, and international stages have embraced her Talk & Play program on opening up and listening without prejudice. Her TED talk "Why I Take the Piano on the Road ... and in the Air" was recognized by the global TED community as 'One of the Most Powerful Ideas in 2014,' reaching close to a million viewers.
Photo: Sophia van den Hoek