Who or what inspired you to take up composing, and pursue a career in music?
Early 80s bands like The Talking Heads, The Cure, The Comsat Angels etc.
Who or what were the most significant influences on your musical life and career as a composer?
Those early 80s bands but also Robert Fripp, Keith Emerson and Pat Metheny.
What have been the greatest challenges/frustrations of your career so far?
The challenge has always been gaining more success with my bands (for which I wrote all the compositions), especially commercial success. This has not always worked out well and that has been a frustration
What are the special challenges/pleasures of working on a commissioned piece?
Trying out new combinations of instruments.
What are the special challenges/pleasures of working with particular musicians, singers, ensembles and orchestras?
The pleasure is that they bring their own ideas and change my music in a better way
Of which works are you most proud?
The works “’ZERO”” and “”THE FIRST BEAT”’, both for two pianos.
How would you characterise your compositional language?
My musical language is all about rhythm and sound.
How do you work?
Sit behind a piano, improvise without a plan and find a certain sound, rhythm that I like and start from there
Who are your favourite musicians/composers?
Pat Metheny, Mussorgsky, Schnittke, Robert Fripp
As a musician, what is your definition of success?
Being appreciated by colleagues
What do you consider to be the most important ideas and concepts to impart to aspiring musicians?
There are no limits in making/writing music, forget all the rules and trust your own musical judgment.
Where would you like to be in 10 years’ time?
A composer with works that are played by many musicians all over the world.
What do you enjoy doing most?
Creating/writing a new piece of music
Jeroen Elfferich’s new album ‘The Essence’ is available now on the Blue Spiral Records label.
Jeroen Elfferich (1965- ) is a Dutch composer/musician. He studied percussion at the Rotterdam Conservatorium and played with many bands and orchestras. After graduating he formed his jazz group Elfferich Four with which he recorded 4 albums. All compositions of his band were by Elfferich.
In recent years Elfferich has composed almost 100 compositions for solo piano and 2 pianos. He music always has a rhythmical character and most of it is in an odd time signature. In his music you can hear influences from different music such as classical music, pop, jazz and even electronic dance music. In 2015 Elfferich formed his own piano duo (Elfferich & Moll) to perform his compositions. Elfferich’s music has been labelled as minimal music.
MEET THE ARTIST 