Verstappen, who comes from Belgium, has performed with artists ranging from Andrea Bocelli to The Beach Boys. He previously toured here in 2024 promoting his album Reconnection.
This tour continues his drive to connect with the culture in each country he visits by inviting a local choir or musicians to perform with him.
He will perform live at the Grainstore Gallery with Kiwi violinist Joe Harrop on April 2, after a scheduled performance with the Dunedin Youth Orchestra in Hanover Hall on April 1.
Speaking with the Oamaru Mail Verstappen said audiences could expect a ‘‘cinematic experience’’.
‘‘It's very dynamic, and very energetic, from the beginning to the end,’’ he said.
The performance will include original compositions from his previous album, along with German composer Hans Zimmer’s score for Interstellar and Italian composer Ennio Morricone’s film music.
‘‘We are two classical musicans, but we will play a modern twist on Vivaldi or say a Toccata from Bach . . .I want people to come to the concert and to be surprised and captivated.’’
Verstappen studied piano and double bass at the Lemmens Institute in Leuven and has built an international career over the past decade, performing across Europe, Asia, Australia and New Zealand.
On his previous New Zealand tour he performed at the Auckland Town Hall with violinist Beth Georgiou and with Polynesian musical group Musika Collective and, in Christchurch and Hamilton, with violinist and composer Fiona Pears.
The idea to work with the youth orchestras was formed when Harrop suggested Verstappen collaborate with the Aotea Youth Symphony for its 40th anniversary.
The Belgian composer said playing some of his original compositions with the symphony recently as part of the Auckland Arts Festival was notable.
‘‘It’s always a very special moment, because, it's nice to play in duet, but it's even more extraordinary when you have an orchestra around you.
‘‘The audience feedback was ‘it's so magical, it was so touching’, it's more than just playing music to me it’s about creating an overall experience.’’
They had created ‘‘a beautiful programme’’ to play with the Dunedin Youth Orchestra including Karl Jenkins’ Palladio, a three-movement concerto grosso for string orchestra inspired by the 16th-century Italian architect Andrea Palladio, and Time from the film Inception, by Hans Zimmer, Verstappen said.
He says with his own style of blending classical music with a contemporary sound he hopes to inspire young musicans to ‘‘emerge in the classical world’’ and to look at classical music in a unique way.
Inspired by nature, Verstappen will record a new album over Easter at Sublime Studio, a recording studio based in the Waitaki Valley that he plans to bring ‘‘full circle’’ back to New Zealand on a future tour after touring Europe.
‘‘What makes this visit particularly special for me is the connection between music and place, I’ll be developing and recording new work directly influenced by the Otago landscape, the beautiful oceans and mountains, and the people I meet along the way.’’
He is also collaborating with Emmy-nominated New Zealand film and television composer Stephen Gallagher, known for scoring The Lord of the Rings, on new music for an upcoming festival in Belgium.
Verstappen will also perform in Queenstown and Christchurch as part of his South Island tour.
