The Unplanned Child
“This is pure, vulnerable, unadulterated Darash.”
The Album
Sometimes, the best kind of work is the unplanned one.
A few months after recording The Planned Child, producer Brendon Heinst called with an invitation: come to the studio and record a few tracks — that same day. Avishai had no material at all. He had poured everything into the first album, and he is a composer who is usually meticulous about every note.
He went in anyway, with an open mind and no attachment to any outcome, and simply improvised. Back home he was sure they had nothing more than a practice session — until he listened to the takes. “Brendon, I think we’ve got an actual album.”
Six improvised pieces, recorded in one session in September 2025: raw, free, and, in his words, the unplanned child of a composer.
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Press
“What emerged from that unplanned session of extemporization is truly special.”
“Darash’s gift for crafting pretty melodies…”
“One of the most gifted composers and performers on the international jazz circuit today.”
“Darash’s playing is so natural and mesmerizing.”
“Darash’s strong technique at the piano allows him to explore the individual approach…”
“Clean, intricate piano riffs, strong compositional skills and instincts…”
“…essential, not only for each of us but for humanity as a whole.”
“…the confident, uninhibited playing of the pianist himself.”
Avishai Darash
Amsterdam-based composer, pianist and producer Avishai Darash blends North African tradition, Western classical music, American jazz and Israeli folk into one personal voice. Trained at the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Dance and the Conservatorium van Amsterdam, he is a signed artist with the Dutch audiophile label TRPTK, for which he wrote and recorded The Planned Child and The Unplanned Child.
As a pianist, he has performed at the Bimhuis and Het Concertgebouw, as well as the International Ud Festival in Jerusalem, the Bozcaada Festival in Istanbul and De Centrale in Belgium, and has collaborated with Mehdi Nassouli, Montse Cortés and Hatim Ammor. As head pianist and arranger of the Amsterdam Andalusian Orchestra, he played over 350 shows and toured internationally.
As artistic director of the Marmoucha Orchestra (2020–2023), he produced eight studio albums and a live album, supported by the Performing Arts Fund NL and the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts. He has composed for musicals and stage through MusicalMakers, the initiative of Joop van den Ende and DeLaMar theatre, created “ZIEL” with dance company ICK, and received Sena production funding in 2021 and 2024.
The Planned Child (2026), the companion to The Unplanned Child, was more than sixteen years in the making: twelve pieces that trace his journey as a composer and pianist, from music written fifteen years ago to ideas born in the studio. Cellist Maya Fridman joins him on two duets, and TRPTK’s immersive mix places the listener right beside the piano.
Next up: Heart Bop. Brendon Heinst of TRPTK trusted Avishai with the daring project of recording his first trio album at the legendary Wisseloord Studios in the Netherlands. One day. Vintage microphones. And the spirit of ’60s hard bop running through every take.