Maxwell Rafeian, a UK-based pianist, artist, vocalist, and composer, washes away the weight of the world with his exquisitely expressive, energetic, and brilliant musicality. Especially on “Doubt,” a gorgeous yet simplistically beautiful new Classical crossover.
Maxwell Rafeian is a composer, pianist, and singer. His first work, The Five Stages of Grief, Op.1, was released in February 2020.
Maxwell was born in 1987 in North Carolina, United States of America, to an English mother and an Iranian father. In 1991, he and his family transferred to Tehran. He began studying voice when he was 15 years old and went on to study composition at the Tehran Conservatoire, where he dropped out after nearly two years.
Soon after, he relocated to the United Kingdom to study classical performance at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. During his fourth year of college, he wrote his op. 1, The Five Stages of Grief, part of his composition portfolio.
Maxwell Rafeian’s performance and presentation of “Doubt” is as skilled and effortlessly mesmerizing as you’d expect. The track has just the right amount of lightness paired with the appropriate drive and seemingly free-flowing brightness to carry the piece’s inner sentiments and emotions effectively.
From the start, the soundscape is highly evocative; the tone is serene but softly tinged with detail and passion. The song has a certain familiarity to it at first, and the single instrument creates an intimate, whispered connection that urges you to hug it near.
The composition of the tune “Doubt” is worth noting. As with the essence of piano-driven classical music taking up to nearly three minutes to cover its territory in some parts, there is a lot to take in. There are a plethora of feelings and ideas that show themselves as the music progresses.
This elaborate and massive arrangement brings the concept to life with waves of combined gentleness rising into utter force and majesty, beautifully expressing the very essence represented by its title. The piece’s brevity only emphasizes its weight and virtuosity, urging listeners to dive right back in from the outset.
“Doubt” is a gorgeously addicting piece of music with a timeless and familiar feel that will undoubtedly have listeners coming back for more.
Maxwell Rafeian is a terrific artist, one to keep an eye out for when the live scenes return.
