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Peter Kater – Rapture

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“Having written music for as long as I have, I’m still fascinated by how it all happens,” admits two-time Grammy-winning, multi-platinum selling Pianist and Composer Peter Kater. “The albums create themselves; I’m just following along and trying to keep up.” Rapture (due June 4 via Point of Light Records) is his most romantic and adventurous album to date—12 euphoric and immersive soundscapes that put Kater’s distinctive piano style and string arrangements on full display, beautifully complemented by a sonic tapestry of saxophone and flute (Richard Hardy), oboe (Jennifer Stucki), bass (Bijoux Barbosa and Mark Gorman) and percussion (Christian Teele).

Press release by Giles Communications

While Kater’s music has uplifted, soothed, healed and inspired the lives of millions of people all around the world, Rapture is more than simply a new album. Rather, it is an autobiographical statement of how Kater has chosen to lead his own life, and where he has been this past year. It also encapsulates what he’s learned over four decades as one of the world’s most beloved piano instrumental artists—through his live performances, home concerts and what he calls “piano readings,” where his fans are encouraged to climb underneath Kater’s piano to experience their own personalized Kater improvisation.
“There are songs here that were deeply inspired by the woman with whom I fell in love, but it also comes from the place of listening to a higher consciousness and awareness, separating the spiritual from the mundane,” Kater says of the dual meaning behind Rapture. “On this album, I have integrated parts of myself that I didn’t know needed to be integrated.”

Sample the piece “Hope of Spring” on Amazon !

“Ultimately, we should all be going deeper inside, asking ourselves, ‘what can I integrate in myself, to make myself feel more whole?’” he adds. “What we need is more love, more compassion, more patience, more sitting with what’s uncomfortable. That’s what my life is like every day—taking inventory of how I’m feeling, and how I can feel at peace with myself, and feel loving and connected with the people in my life.”
Kater brings this foundational love of self to Rapture, each song bearing its own distinct character and purpose.

Rapture opens with an epic title track possessing a sweeping cinematic tone and evolution that even surprised Kater. “At first, I really thought it would just be about the piano part. But as I’m listening back to the piano recording, all of a sudden, I hear this entirely different melody over the top of the piece. I had no idea the song was going there.”
“Valley of Love,” a haunting, hypnotic piano and flute-led waltz, climaxes with a series of cascading runs from the top of the piano down to the bottom, a powerful motif Kater admits felt refreshingly energizing and fulfilling to play.

See New Age Music Guide’s complete Peter Kater feature here

“Sweet Delight” and “Stole my Heart,” each possessing a light smooth jazz feel, reminds us of Kater’s contemporary jazz roots, while “Come with Me” encourages listeners to close their eyes and imagine their lover beckoning them to join love’s journey, their collective pulse quickening every step of the way. “Morning Bliss,” a simple, yet beautiful ambient improvisation about sunrise, is highly effective at quieting the mind and easing tension, while the closing track, “By Your Side” is signature Kater—a pure solo piano piece illustrating Kater’s love for his muse and creative process.

Rapture is the culmination of Kater’s illustrative body of work that continues to grow exponentially—from solo piano and contemporary jazz ensembles to full orchestral works heard all over the world. In addition to his two Grammy Award wins and 14 Grammy Award nominations, Kater has released more than 70 critically acclaimed recordings and has scored the music for more than 100 television and film productions, including 11 On & Off-Broadway dramatic plays. He is known for his many groundbreaking collaborations with musicians such as Native American flutist R. Carlos Nakai, Sting guitarist Dominic Miller, Virtuoso cellist Tina Guo and Sacred Chantress Snatam Kaur.
Kater is also a proud recipient of the Environment Leadership Award from the United Nations.

Yet Kater continues to refine and define his own purpose in life, honing in on where his passion currently lies, so as to bring an elevated experience to his many fans.
“At a certain point in your life, you move into service, where you ask yourself, ‘what does this person need? What can I offer my fans to create more fullness, love, happiness, and peace in their lives? What can I offer to create more balance and wholeness among the people that I touch?’”

Kater explores many of these questions by conducting hundreds of piano readings for his fans. He begins by talking with people for about a half-hour, so as to get a feeling of where they’re at in their lives or what they need. “At a certain point, I’ll get a very clear impression, I’ll hear a melody, chords to start with. I ‘receive’ a specific and tangible direction of what I want to play for them. I’ll get them under the piano when I gain that awareness, then I’ll improvise for them for 10 to 15 minutes and record it professionally and give them the recording afterward so that they can have their own piece of music to listen to.”

Most apparent in Kater’s retreats is his ability to create a space for people to have an experience of themselves that is supported, nurtured, and without any judgment. “We judge ourselves so much, for so many things, just for being ourselves because we often lack a sense of compassion and love from a broader perspective. Life isn’t easy. We’re faced with challenges every day that we are not prepared to address. There is no manual.”

“Ultimately, when I do retreats and concerts, I aim to allow people to be present with me in a very authentic transparent way, to experience and love themselves on a deeper level that creates a transformation within that individual. That’s what I have to do myself to even be able to show up. I believe that authenticity heals.”

For more information about Peter Kater and Rapture, please visit www.peterkater.com