EPK

Remy van Kesteren

HARP AS YOU’VE NEVER HEARD BEFORE

Praised by The New York Times as a “brilliant harpist,” Remy van Kesteren (1989) has transformed the sound and image of the harp. When he was five years old, Remy became enchanted by the sound of the instrument in a garden - a moment that defined his life’s path. Over the years, he built an international, award-winning career, performing in the world’s leading concert halls and winning numerous prizes, including the prestigious first prize at the largest international harp competition in the United States in 2013.

But at the age of 25, after reaching the top of the classical world, Remy realized: this isn’t it—at least not completely. This turning point set him on a new course.

In 2016, the year he won the Dutch Music Prize, Remy released Tomorrow Eyes, his genre-defying debut album with Universal Music/Deutsche Grammophon, featuring his own compositions. From that moment, he shifted from classical concert halls to clubs and pop festivals, performing solo, with his band, and with his Analogue Robot Orchestra. His mission became clear: to explore and push the limits of his instrument - and to break them wide open.

Remy is the only person in the world to play the Salvi Réus, a custom-made harp with 49 strings, which he co-designed and developed in collaboration with Salvi Harps, funded by the Dutch Musical Instruments Foundation. Several of his technical innovations were so groundbreaking that they are now standard features on modern Salvi concert harps.

Latest Release: Leave What You Know (2025)

Released: May 16, 2025

  • Singles a.o.: The Crown (feat. Marcel Veenendaal), Closing Time (feat. Cape Sleep, Where I Want to Be (feat. Robin Kester)

  • First album where Remy writes his own lyrics

  • Nine different featurings

The inspiration for the title Leave What You Know stems from the idea of letting go of everything familiar. But it is also a challenge to the listener. “As a child, you look at the world with total open-mindedness. As we grow older, that fades. We decide what belongs to us, what we like, and what we reject,” Remy says. “But if you're not careful, prejudice makes you miss out on so much beauty in life. It’s about continuously questioning what you know and what you see around you. With the same openness and curiosity as a child. Because often, the things that don’t immediately catch your interest can lead to new ideas that might just change your world.”

🔗 Listen on Spotify
🔗 Leave What You Know live at Best Kept Secret
🔗 Download music files

IKEA harp

He also worked with instrument maker Joris Beets to develop the Harp-E, a revolutionary, accessible, and affordable electric harp designed especially for children of the Dutch Leerorkest. More than 300 Harp-E’s have already been crowdfunded. Anyone can now buy this self-assembly “IKEA harp” and put it together with just a hex key - making the harp more approachable and within reach for a new generation.

Collaborations

Throughout his career, Remy has always sought to expand perspectives. He has collaborated with dance (Hans van Manen and Het Nationale Ballet, 2014 & 2017, Scapino Ballet in 2025), film (Oscar-winning director Michael Dudok De Wit), and artists across genres, including Fink, who co-produced his album Shadows. He played for more than 500,000 people during the Night of the Proms tour and has written harp concertos for orchestras, including a solo appearance with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in 2020. That same year, his own episode of Het Klokhuis aired, introducing a new generation to Remy and his harp.

Remy’s sheet music is now available in published songbooks, and his music has been streamed more than 12 million times on Spotify, reaching audiences in 182 countries.

1000 strings festival

In addition to his performances and innovations, Remy is the founder and artistic director of the 1000 Strings Festival, a biannual event held at TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, which brings harpists and string players together to explore new sounds and genres.

Remy van Kesteren continues to inspire with his relentless curiosity and boundary-breaking artistry - always finding new ways to bring the harp to fresh audiences, and fresh audiences to the harp.