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Kerani

Kerani (1968) is a Dutch composer, orchestrator, and producer of Hungarian heritage known for her sophisticated and meticulously crafted music, infused with classical influences. She is recognised for her contributions to various media projects, including documentaries, short films, and trailers. Over the course of her career, Kerani has released eleven albums, each showcasing her unique artistic vision. Notably, Kerani has been honoured in the US with the distinguished ZMR Music Award for Best Neo-Classical New Age Album [1][2][3] on three separate occasions, underscoring her significant impact on the genre.

Biography

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Kerani, born in Belgium to Hungarian parents, currently resides in the Netherlands. She is the founder and head of Kerani Music, her own publishing company. Additionally, she oversees Toon Zaal 11 [1] an art gallery, music recording, and media production company located in the close proximity to Maastricht.

Early life

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Kerani spent her formative years in Brussels, Belgium, alongside her three older brothers, making her the youngest among them. At the tender age of four, her father acquired a used piano, which immediately captivated her. Displaying a remarkable ability to play tunes by ear, her parents recognized her musical aptitude and promptly enrolled her in music school. From that point forward, music became the central theme in Kerani's life.

At the age of 18, Kerani teamed up with a couple of studio musicians to record her instrumental compositions Seagullsong and Oblivion. The single got national airplay and Oblivion became the tune of a breakfast show on Radio 2 Flanders. In this period, she also performed as lead vocalist and keyboardist in a cover band.

Career

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In 2011, Kerani's professional musical career soared as she undertook the composition of soundtracks for several documentary films commissioned by the Historical Society of the Roerstreek in the Netherlands.[4] During the same year, she unveiled her debut new age album, "Wings of Comfort." Just one year later, her sophomore release, "The Journey," made its debut. Both albums garnered significant airplay and contributed to Kerani's burgeoning reputation in the music industry. Meanwhile, she also worked for Peaceful Radio, a Dutch internet radio station, where she conducted interviews with various international new-age artists, such as Rodrigo Rodriguez and Sabine van Baaren.[5]

In the run-up to the release of her third album Arctic Sunrise in 2014, Kerani wrote the soundtrack to several documentaries commissioned by the NWO - the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research. She also re-orchestrated a large set of children's songs for an instruction DVD for disabled children, called 't Steyntje zingt. Arctic Sunrise went to #2 on the International Zone Music Reporter Chart for new-age music, got airplay on hundreds of radio stations worldwide, was a Top 10 album on the annual ZMR rankings,[6] and won the ZMR Neo-Classical Album of the Year Award.[7] From this album, the classical track Far Away from Home was re-orchestrated, recorded and published for windband by Bronsheim Music.[8]

In 2015, a few days before performing in concert with Terry Oldfield, Kerani launched her fourth concept and bestseller album, Equilibrium [9] On this album, she was joined by special guest musicians including concertmaster of the South-Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra Wilfred Sassen, violist Joanne Wigmans, cellist Joep Willems and brass musician Jos Gijsen. Some of the musicians are known internationally, such as shakuhachi flute player and recording artist Rodrigo Rodriguez , guitarist Romain van Beek and flutist and vocalist Jan Mertens. The album received a nomination for the Best Neo-Classical New Age Album by the ZMR and was also nominated for Best Electronic Album by One World Music Radio in the UK.[10]

In the spring of 2017, Kerani released her fifth concept album, called Stardust. Stardust [11] is a space-themed album that was recorded with Roermonds Orkest De Symphonie, conducted by Christiaan Janssen, Gemengd Vocaal Ensemble Canto Rinato, conducted by Anton Kropivšek. In total, 60 musicians participated in this elaborate project, which was led by executive producer Arno Op den Camp, and supported by multi-Grammy and Latin Grammy Award winning producer Kabir Sehgal, who also wrote the liner notes in the CD booklet. While receiving many accolades from the international press [12][13][14][15] and holding the #1 position in the ZMR International Top 100 Radio Airplay Chart during the months of June [16] and July 2017,[17] Stardust got nominated in 2 categories by the ZMR: New Age Album of the Year 2017 and Best Neo-Classical Album.[18]

In 2018, Kerani launched her sixth neoclassical album, called Small Treasures,[19] a collection of musical inspirations which found their origin in experiences that have affected Kerani's life. This makes Small Treasures her most personal work to this day. Small Treasures was recorded with a string quartet, supplemented with a select number of guest artists, such as Grammy winning Canadian flautist Ron Korb, Irish singer songwriter Chanele McGuinness and Brazilian soprano coloratura and guitarist Carla Maffioletti. Just like its predecessor, Small Treasures held the #1 position in the ZMR International Top 100 Radio Airplay Chart for 2 months.[20][21] The album won the ZMR Music Award for Best Neo-Classical Album of 2018.,[22][23] At the same time, the song Garden of Dreams got nominated for the 2018 Peace Song Awards in the New Age category.[24]

September 2020 - Almost two years after the release of Small Treasures, Kerani returned with an epic body of work called Sands of Time.[25] Inspired by Greek mythology, the music on this album describes the most beautiful elements that brought forth life on earth, such as Love, Beauty, Light, and Wisdom. “The myths and legends of the ancient Greek may be archaic, but their human aspect is still valid. We should use our love and knowledge to create beauty and bring peace to the world.”, says Kerani. Sands of Time got voted Best Neo-Classical Album of 2020 by the jury of One World Music Radio [26] and by the broadcasters and radio hosts of the Zone Music Reporter.[27]

March 2022 marked the release of Kerani's album called The Water of Life, an ode to the powerful element of water, which was recorded with The Magic Strings Quartet.

While working on a new media assignment in 2023, Kerani simultaneously developed a symphonic production titled "Silent Heart" which was released in April 2024.

Music for media

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Kerani also produces music customised for the worldwide television and film industry in collaboration with her German publisher Ripcue Music. Her notable works include Celtic Otherworld , a 31-track album, and "Journey of Life", a 12-track album.

Radio

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From 2018 to 2023, Kerani served as the producer and host of two radioshows on One World Music Radio.[28] "Kaleidoscope" was a thematic programme featuring a diverse array of new age music, spanning from piano solos to neo-classical compositions. In her show"Musings", Kerani conducted insightful interviews with influential figures in the new age music industry, including luminaries such as Moya Brennan,[29] Erik Wøllo,[30] Michael Hoppé,[31] and Andreas Vollenweider.,[32] shedding light on their significant contributions to the genre.

Discography

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  1. Wings of Comfort (album 2011)
  2. The Journey (album 2012)
  3. Echo of our Souls (single 2013)
  4. Wonderful Peace/Stralande Jul (single 2013)
  5. Arctic Sunrise (album 2014)
  6. The Story of Christmas (single 2014)
  7. Equilibrium (album 2015)
  8. Days of Yore (single 2016)
  9. Stars (single 2016)
  10. The Little Shepherd's Flute (single 2016)
  11. Stardust (album 2017)
  12. Drive (single 2018)
  13. Small Treasures (album 2018)
  14. City Skylines (single 2019)
  15. A Christmas Wish (single 2019)
  16. One World (single 2020)
  17. Summer Romance - featured on New Beginnings - OWMR charity album (2020)
  18. Sands of Time (album 2020)
  19. The Crystal Dancer (single 2021)
  20. Celtic Otherworld (album 2022) published by RipCue Music GmbH
  21. The Water of Life (album 2022)
  22. Sailing (single 2023)
  23. Journey of Life (album 2023) published by RipCue Music GmbH
  24. Lucky Charm (single 2023) - ft. Susan E. Mazer and Dallas Smith
  25. Silent Heart (album 2024)

References

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  1. ^ http://zonemusicreporter.com/admin/2014award_finalists.asp ZMR Music Award Winners 2014
  2. ^ "2018 ZMR Music Award Winners".
  3. ^ "2020 Winners".
  4. ^ https://www.roerstreekmuseum.nl/museum/winkel/herkenbosch-1970-dorpsfilm
  5. ^ "Home". peacefulradio.info.
  6. ^ "Top 100 Recordings of 2014".
  7. ^ "2014 ZMR Music Award Winners".
  8. ^ "Zoekresultaten voor: 'Far away from home'".
  9. ^ http://www.mwe3.com/reviews/Kerani2015/ Record Label & Music Spotlight - Full interview with Kerani
  10. ^ "Home | One World Music Radio".
  11. ^ http://www.mi2n.com/press.php3?press_nb=198183 [dead link‍]
  12. ^ "Kerani – Stardust Review". 29 May 2017.
  13. ^ "Home | One World Music Radio".
  14. ^ "Kerani: Stardust".
  15. ^ "Stardust – Blue Wolf Reviews".
  16. ^ "New Age / Ambient / World Top 100 Radio Chart".
  17. ^ "New Age / Ambient / World Top 100 Radio Chart".
  18. ^ "2020 ZMR Award Nominees".
  19. ^ "Home". kerani-official.com.
  20. ^ "New Age / Ambient / World Top 100 Radio Chart".
  21. ^ "New Age / Ambient / World Top 100 Radio Chart".
  22. ^ "Steinse componiste wint Amerikaanse muziekprijs".
  23. ^ "2018 ZMR Music Award Winners".
  24. ^ "NEWS".
  25. ^ "Home". kerani-official.com.
  26. ^ "2020 Album Awards | One World Music Radio".
  27. ^ "2020 Winners".
  28. ^ "Home". oneworldmusicradio.com.
  29. ^ "Musings With... MOYA BRENNAN by Kerani".
  30. ^ "Musings with ... ERIK WØLLO by Kerani".
  31. ^ "Musings with Michael Hoppé - Exclusive interview by Kerani for OWMR! By Kerani".
  32. ^ "Andreas Vollenweider - Exclusive interview! By Kerani".
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