Rising pianist Marko Ivic releases the stunning, beautifully intimate, and yet strikingly cinematic debut album, When I Entered There Was a Room.
Recorded in November 2022 at Studio 150 in Amsterdam, the ten-track album offers a transformative listening experience, showcasing Ivic’s stunning piano work and ability to compose emotionally attuned instrumental arrangements, showcasing a well rounded identity and a neo-classic composer. With a focus on creating sonic spaces for self-reflection and emotional exploration, the album takes listeners on a journey through intricate, resonant compositions that balance intensity with tenderness.
Talking about the album, Marco explains: “This album explores the vast potential of a concert grand piano interacting with live audio processing. The result is a collection of pieces rich in rhythm, pulse and delays, but also full of colour, lyricism, and emotionally charged landscapes.
The idea behind the album title is to portray music as a space where you can connect with yourself—your inner reflections, thoughts, emotions, and what you want to express. The ‘when’ signals a possibility: if you choose to go inward, you will find a space that has room for you.”
A classically trained pianist with a Master’s degree in Live Electronics from the Conservatory in Amsterdam, Ivic merges his rigorous musical training with a modern, experimental edge. His love for the interplay of sound, mood, and silence brings to mind the work of minimalist pioneers such as Philip Glass, Steve Reich, and Brian Eno. But while the influences are palpable, Ivic’s work is distinctively his own, layering repetition and rhythm to create a hypnotic, meditative effect. The result is an album that invites listeners to slow down, to focus, and to rediscover the beauty hidden in life’s quieter moments.
Since completing his education, Ivic has expanded his reach into the realm of electro-acoustic music, integrating the raw, emotional qualities of the piano with electronic effects and processing. His interdisciplinary background has also seen him explore roles as a maker, performer, and composer, giving his music a multi-layered quality that defies easy classification. When I Entered There Was a Room draws from this expansive perspective, creating a work that feels both intimate and vast, precise yet spontaneous.
Listen below:
