The First of Everything

In April last year Eunike Tanzil signed to Deutsche Grammophon, becoming the first female Asian composer to join the Yellow Label. Now the LA‑based Indonesian composer-pianist-producer has recorded her debut album, The First of Everything. Musical snapshots of a series of significant firsts in her life, its 12 tracks reveal the gift for storytelling that is central to her work, whether she is writing for stage, screen or concert hall, or sharing her creativity and improvisational skills through her much-loved Hum Me A Melody series and other social media initiatives.

Working with orchestrator Max Knoth, Eunike recorded The First of Everything at Berlin’s Teldex Studios with the Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester and conductor Anna Handler. She plays piano, celesta, bells and even snare drum herself, with fellow DG artist Sophie Kauer playing solo cello on two tracks.

The First of Everything reflects the versatility, sense of freedom and spirit of adventure that are all part of Tanzil’s modern take on orchestral music. “There’s a story behind each track, and all the tracks are based on personal experiences, specifically first experiences – the key moments in my life that shaped me into who I am today,” she explains. “Once I found the flow and knew what the album was going to be about, it all came very naturally.” She tells her musical tales using great stylistic and instrumental variety, from more minimalistic pieces to sweeping, cinematic orchestral statements.