Author: scgleeuw

The first half-year of my transition from science to music has been intensive, inspiring, and full of new experiences. I made my debut as a soloist with orchestra in a harpsichord concerto by Bach, gave my first solo harpsichord recital, and explored new musical horizons by performing jazz and blues on the harpsichord. Meanwhile, my university work continued steadily, not least due to a research audit and other responsibilities at Radboudumc.

During this time, one constant stands out: the inexhaustible energy that music brings. The vitality it unlocks is remarkable – almost therapeutic. . Its beauty reminds me that humanity – despite polarization, wars, and climate challenges – is also capable of creating noble achievements. Negativity is transient; art endures and withstands the centuries.

In that spirit, it felt particularly rewarding to fulfill a long-held wish at the Ericakerk in Ede last November: bringing together musical worlds that at first glance seem far apart. Placing baroque and blues music side by side in a single program – from Bach to Blues – feels for me like a natural extension of the multidisciplinary approach I enjoyed for many years in science. I really enjoy how the harpsichord fits the sound of ragtime and early jazz, so I am pleased to share my live recording of Fats Waller’s “Viper’s Drag”, performed on harpsichord.Onderkant formulier

Since July, I have been allowing myself more time for music than for science. While I initially envisioned spending most of that time behind my harpsichord and piano, the reality has turned out somewhat differently: the early stages of my comeback in music are also filled with organizational tasks—selecting beautiful concert venues, initiating inspiring collaborations, drafting new programs, creating new videos, and so on. Deadlines do help us to make progress, but they can also distract us from the essence of life.

Nature and music offer me a timeless and natural counterbalance to this often fleeting state of being. I am totally fascinated by music’s magic ability to connect us with emotions and impressions from hundreds or even thousands of years ago. This Prélude by the French composer Claude Debussy, which I recently posted on YouTube, creates the impression of a petrified dance from ancient Greece. Dance and stone may seem contradictory, yet through music, Debussy manages to breathe movement into these centuries-old dancers from Delphi. In doing so, this piece connects us—through Debussy’s emotional lens as a 19th-century composer—to the aesthetic world of Greek sculptors from over two millennia ago. From this sense of timelessness, music helps me slow down and detach from the continuous succession of tasks and to do’s of modern life. Hopefully, this video gives you a short break from the constant flow of deadlines.

Here we go: my first post ever, marking a new phase in my life. For the past 30 years, I have devoted myself primarily to science, but in a search for my destiny I recently decided to scale back my personal scientific career starting this summer to create space for music. Twenty years ago I graduated as a pianist at the conservatory, but unfortunately it proved impossible afterwards to combine science and music at a professional level. However, last year I made a comeback as concert pianist, and this past spring I gave concerts as a harpsichordist for the first time in 30 years. These concerts revealed that my heart for music is larger than ever.

It was the most difficult decision of my career, but now the time has come to follow my heart. Since July, I have reduced my academic appointment as professor and group leader to 0.45 FTE. This symbolic shift gives me, for the first time in my life, more time for music than for science, although I will continue contributing to science from a broader perspective. This process feels unfamiliar and uncertain, but my heart leaps at the prospect of upcoming concerts and musical projects. In this transition, I feel inspired by the old saying that it is the journey that matters, not the destination. I am very much looking forward tot his journey, which feels like a hike into beautiful nature but without Google Maps.

In the coming period, I will create a personal website, post new YouTube-videos on my channel (feel free to subscribe if you would like to be updated), and prepare for upcoming concerts this fall.

More information about these concerts can be found here — you’re warmly invited!