Among the many interesting things that ADE 2025 brought us, there was also the official premiere of Armin van Buuren’s first acoustic album, Piano.
We had the honor of attending the presentation conference at the Dolby Atmos Theatre in Amsterdam, where the Apple Music Classical team hosted Armin van Buuren and introduced this highly ambitious project from the five-time number one DJ in the world.
Armin told us that classical music has always been one of the most important influences in his work. He grew up with a pianist father and was exposed from an early age to classical composers whose works gave him a deep passion for melody, harmony, and structure. This classical foundation is evident in his trance productions, characterized by emotional melodies, complex harmonies, and cinematic builds. Armin also shared that, thanks in part to his brother, his family home was always full of music, and that it never mattered what kind of music it was, only what kind of feeling it conveyed.
The album Piano was created over the past five years, born from his desire to fully learn an instrument. Armin has always written the melodic parts of his tracks on piano, but this time he wanted to challenge himself further. During this period, Armin took lessons from his teacher Geronimo and composed Piano.
This 15-track album is an extremely intimate project that connects him with music on a deeper level. In his own words: “It’s great when kick and bass move through a melody, but when you’re at the piano, it’s just you, your fingers, and the melod, nothing else matters. In 2025, I recorded everything in a single session at the ConcertLab. This album is my most personal work: from the heart, to the keys, to the ears.”
In Piano, Armin van Buuren performs on the piano both solo and alongside other musicians, including a cellist and a chamber orchestra. The album was born from his desire to learn to play piano at the age of 43. Soon, tired of following sheet music, he began composing his own melodies. The first piece he wrote, Fathers and Sons, inspired him to continue composing in that direction.
During the Amsterdam Premiere, we were lucky enough to hear three tracks from the album in advance, and believe us, the emotion was overwhelming. Many attendees, ourselves included, were moved to tears.
Piano by Armin van Buuren will be available exclusively on Apple Music on October 31, and then on all platforms the following Friday. The first single from the album, Sonic Samba, is already available to listen to.
Release Date: 31 October 2025 » Armada Music | Apple Music Pre Save |
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