Peter Beets

Classics Meets Jazz: The Best of Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninoff & More

Peter Beets, piano
Tom Baldwin, bass
Byron Landham, drums

As one of the most sought-after jazz artists of our time, PETER BEETS has attracted a devoted international audience, performing regularly at major jazz festivals and venues throughout Europe, the United States and Asia. He has shared the stage with jazz greats such as Chick Corea, Wynton Marsalis, Toots Thielemans and Benny Golson.

From birth, Peter was surrounded by music: classical from his mother who is a music pedagogue, and jazz from his father who instilled in his son his own great love of Oscar Peterson and Art Blakey. His brothers Marius and Alexander also became professional musicians, double bass and tenor saxophone respectively. Since 1985, the brothers have performed together as The Beets Brothers.

In 1988 Peter received the prestigious Pall Mall Swing Award, and a year later the Princess Christina Award. In 1998 he completed his conservatory studies, winning the Prix Martial Solal in Paris and became the featured pianist with The Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw. The next year, he won the Concours de Solistes de Jazz in Monaco. In 2001 the Criss Cross label invited Peter for a series of albums with his New York Trio, inviting artists like Willie Jones III, Larry Grenadier and Greg Hutchinson. 

In 2010 Peter was awarded an Edison (Dutch equivalent of the Grammy) for the album Blues for the Date, with his original compositions, accompanied by The Jazzorchestra of the Concertgebouw. In 2013, Peter recorded a tribute album to one of his biggest idols, Oscar Peterson and in 2015 he made a recording out of a live performance of his Chopin arrangements.

His 2018 live recording of Django Reinhardt compositions with a gypsy jazz trio including Stochelo Rosenberg is considerd an historical performance. A year later record producer Ruud Jacobs brought about Peter’s trio recording, ‘Our Love Is Here to Stay – Gershwin Reimagined’. Peter  also founded a big band with young professionals, called the New Jazz Orchestra. Hed writes new music for this orchestra, arrangements based on classical music. Legendary bass player John Clayton invited Peter to play at the San Diego jazzfestival in 2020, but Covid spoiled this momentum. Instead, John Clayton traveled to Europe in 2022 play with Peter and with his New Jazz Orchestra. In 2021 Peter accepted an invitation to play Rhapsody in Blue, the finger busting piano concerto by George Gershwin, with a large symphony orchestra. Although Peter is not a classical pianist, he accepted the challenge to play this iconic piece, on the condition that he can interpretate it his own way. The recordings are on YouTube.

In 2023 Peter’s trio went into the recording studio to celebrate their great love of classical music. This album, ‘Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and all that Jazz!’ features works by Borodin, Rimsky-Korsakov, Scriabin, Prokofiev, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov. The trio will be featured at the North Sea Jazz Festival 2024.  www.peterbeets.com 

Showtime: 7 pm ET/6 pm CT/5 pm MT/4 pm PT/12 am GMT

In-person seats: $30 / $10 full-time students with valid ID
Attendees receive a link to the recording to view for one week.
Advance sales end 1 hr before show; remaining tickets may be purchased at door.
 
Streaming Cost is $15
The link will be revealed 15 minutes before the show
and will remain active through Oct 1