André Kuipers & Ralph van Raat

About André Kuipers & Ralph van Raat

Astronaut André Kuipers & master pianist Ralph van Raat offer you a unique duo program, taking you on a ‘musical space voyage. The program is aptly named ‘The Harmony of the Spheres,’ after the theory of Pythagoras. This theory revolves around the idea that the order of the celestial sphere, the earth, and music arises from the same simple numerical relationship. Each piece of music that Van Raat plays is composed by a composer who has been inspired by space: from baroque composer Johann Sebastian Bach to avant-garde composer John Cage. Kuipers introduces the music pieces, and during Van Raat’s piano performance, beautiful images taken by Kuipers from space are shown. About Dr. André Kuipers André Kuipers (1958) is the first Dutchman with two space missions to his name. His second mission is the longest European space flight in history. In total, the ESA astronaut spent 204 days in space: 11 days during mission DELTA in 2004 and 193 days during mission PromISSe. About Drs. Ralph van Raat Master pianist and musicologist Drs. Ralph van Raat (1978) studied piano at the Conservatory of Amsterdam and Northwestern University in Chicago. Additionally, he studied Musicology at the University of Amsterdam. He graduated Cum Laude from both his conservatory and university studies. A scholarship from the Prins Bernhard Culture Fund also allowed him to attend many masterclasses in Paris, Helsinki, and Cologne after his conservatory studies. Both during and after his studies, Van Raat received numerous awards, such as the Philip Morris Art Prize, the VSCD Classical Music Prize, and the Fortis MeesPierson Award from the Concertgebouw. For an impression of their performance, this interview is available.