Joep Beving

Joep Beving, a sensation of the contemporary classical streaming world, returns to his solo piano roots with Hermetism. The Dutch composer/pianist’s fourth album for Deutsche Grammophon will be released globally on 8 April 2022. Inspired by ancient philosophy, Beving’s latest project is an album in search of universal ideas. Written during the dark days of the pandemic, in an age of fear and polarisation, Hermetism blends poignant melancholy with an offer of hope, spanning twelve new tracks recorded on Beving’s cherished Schimmel piano. 

‍Beving has used music to explore some of life’s big philosophical questions in three hugely successful albums – Solipsism, Prehension and Henosis. After his trilogy for Deutsche Grammophon, he was left with a question: what next? The answer eluded him at first, so he turned to compose for a Dutch film and stage play. Yet ideas that had been brewing for years began to take shape.

‍For his latest project, he draws on Hermetism, a spiritual philosophy that stems from ancient writings attributed to the legendary Greek author Hermes Trismegistus. At its core are seven universal laws of nature, passed down through the centuries and later compiled in The Kybalion, a text that has influenced New Age theories in more recent times. These concepts – such as the principle of cause and effect and the principle of rhythm – are all about finding a continuous balance in life and existence.

‍After self-releasing his debut album Solipsism in 2015, Beving became a viral streaming sensation. His music has since been streamed over half a billion times, and he has performed sold-out shows around the globe. Ultimately, he hopes that Hermetism will resonate on a deep level with his listeners. “In all the madness of recent times, this album has been the thing I’ve kept coming back to,” he explains. “In that sense, Hermetism has been my own medicine for the pandemic.”