René van Munster

Dutch cellist, composer, and producer René van Munster has carved a unique niche in electronic music by creating works solely from cello sounds. His creations culminate in dynamic, ever-evolving sound sculptures that blend the ethereal qualities of electronic music with the splendor of an acoustic cello. His newly developed sound can be heard on his Forget EP on the GERYON imprint, as well as on All the Pleasures, a collaborative album together with multimedia artist Robin Coops. During his classical cello studies, René delved into different improvisation traditions while simultaneously producing and releasing house music on different labels. This diverse musical journey included DJ performances across Europe but eventually led him to seek more personal avenues of musical expression. After obtaining his Master’s degree from Tokyo University of the Arts, René joined Cello Octet Amsterdam, performing and premiering many new music works by composers such as Philip Glass, Michael Gordon and Sarah Davachi. He has arranged various works for the Octet including compositions by Joep Beving, KMRU and Abul Mogard. Together with Alistair Sung, he curates a playlist called Cello & Electronica, featuring exciting new electronic music made with cello at its core.