Paz del Castillo is a pianist and composer of classical origin who focused her career on instrumental music, mainly solo piano, nowadays called adult contemporary music. Her musical career has evolved in her own personal way. Instead of the mainstream, she focuses more on things of the Celtic and classical nature. It’s just how she was raised.
The youngest of three girls, her mother had already brought a piano into the house for her older sister. She remembers, “I boarded the train slowly, listening to those lessons, and watching through the door — fingering the keys… my mother decided I should start taking lessons to see how it would be for me. I continued and continued while my sisters abandoned the piano when they were teenagers.” Her teenage years were right about the time Paz started to really connect with the music. It transformed into more than something she was learning, it soon became her life. No longer did she want to be a carpenter, but rather a musician.
A self-proclaimed “kaleidoscope,” it’s hard for Paz to pinpoint where the influence from her sound and style exactly comes from. From listening to her mother’s vinyl collection that spanned from Glen Miller to Elvis, to “stealing” her sisters’ Beatles and Rolling Stones albums. All of their music played a part in developing her growth. As she got older and the ‘80s rolled around, she started to find herself emerged in movie soundtracks composed by John Barry, John Williams and Ennio Morricone.
While she isn’t so big on the mainstream today, it was the concrete for her musical foundation back in the day. Then of course are her classical favorites — “I identify more with the music of Beethoven, Schubert and Brahms, Neoclassical, before 19th century, the depth, consistency and use of harmony, characteristic of them. But also I identify with Bach.” She notes that her teachers, like Rosa Maria Kucharski played a significant part in the artist she is today, as well as notable places in Madrid that breathe inspiration like the Royal Palace and Puerta de Alcala.
Music is Paz’s life, and she’s lucky enough and proud to say that it’s her day job; but she did have a moment in life when she picked up a law book. Like a lot of musicians, she recalls that no one wanted to hear about her goal to be an artist, but she took it upon herself to go after that dream and made it a reality after spending nights playing in bars and cafes, and saving up. Now her friends would call her a bit of a workaholic, but that’s not so bad when you love what you do, right?
Not bad for the little girl who wanted to be a carpenter once upon a time. “The one thing I’ve always loved about music, is that it is truly universal – especially music that’s void of lyrics. The emotion stems from the fingertips of the artist and until I took music appreciation in college, I did not really grasp that.” On the universality of her music, Paz thinks, “No matter if the person who hears it is European, American or Asian, an elder or a child – They will be felt in this way, each one in their own way, with more or less intensity.”
Now the thing to love about Paz is that she’s a woman who works as hard as she can to get where she wants to be in life and if music wasn’t what she wanted to do anymore – well, she’d work just as hard at being a gardener or a vet, but for now it’s music and she’s spending 2016 promoting her latest album, NOW on the radio and live. Get tabs on Paz del Castillo to see where she’ll be playing next.
"Hope"
Paz del Castillo has been a featured artist on The Artist Gallery.com since June 08, 2023.
Paz's Links
Written by Kendra Beltran...ZO Magazine
"Music to be Reborn"
Paz's Albums
Paz del Castillo
"Lo que se de mi"
"Vals for the Good People"
Paz's Featured Videos
Paz del Castillo is a pianist and composer of classical origin who focused her career on instrumental music, mainly solo piano, nowadays called adult contemporary music. Her musical career has evolved in her own personal way. Her discography consists of 6 albums and several singles. The albums include “MOODS FOR PIANO”, “Secretos del Corazon-Live”, “ELEVEN DROPS” ,"NOW", "TRES...the best of..." and "HOPE" .
MOODS FOR PIANO was a revelation into instrumental music and piano solo. It brought newness and freshness and surprised with tracks like "Bolinas" which opens the album. It was reissued in 2011. In 2013 "ELEVEN DROPS" was published, recorded at INFINITY Studios- MADRID, Spain. It was published by Neuronium Rds label and produced by the artist. The album had a great response both from the public and critics. International critics have praised her work calling it "high quality work, beautiful and technical". (Joe Carroccio-11Radio.com). In Spain, "Beautiful! I personally think that it is the best of three albums ..." (Miguel Angel Espigares-”Cuando yo paro el tiepo " radio show (Onda Granada- Spain).
From the USA, The Creative Service Company agency through its president Randall Davis, promoted “Eleven Drops “ for United States and Canadian radio, and printed media. In 2012, Paz was in the TOP 100 of Zone Music Reporter, staying for several months at number 39 as the only Spanish artist, with her previous live album "Secrets of the Heart". Her album "ELEVEN DROPS" reached higher positions of the charts for more than five months, going directly to the TOP 10 of 100 in MUSIC ZONE REPORTER, and reaching # 1 in Music Choice SOUNDSCAPES channel in January of 2013. The artist published "NOW" in 2015, the fourth album of her discography, the third studio album . It was recorded at Infinity Studios in Madrid, and produced by Paz. It was released by THE BORDERLINE MUSIC LABEL -GRANADA- SPAIN.
NOW is a declaration of intentions, a tribute to the simple and beautiful things of our daily life, broadcasted on radio stations in Spain, the US and the rest of Europe, directly entering number 5 of the 100 best albums in the month of December 2015 - ZMR- Zone Music Reporter.
Best solo piano album of the year 2015, by the radio channel SOLOPIANO RADIO
"TRES... The best of Paz del Castillo" In 2018-2019, the compilation album Tres is published, a compendium of the 3 studio albums , which includes 3 new works: "Once upon a time there was a maiden", "Waltz for the good people", "Lo que se de mi".
In 2020: "Habanera del Cabo de Mar", "I Fight", and "Spring Drops" were on radio, streaming and digital channels, spotify, itunes..etc
"I FIGHT, ADAGIO" arrangement for studio with the collaboration of NOISE OF DREAMS label, which just made all mastering and edition work of studio...
2021: Presents "Hope", fifth studio album, available in large stores and all digital platforms, which will be released soon in Taiwan. This new work by Paz del Castillo consists of nine tracks, it opens the album "Hope", the first advance of this LP that puts music to Hope and then resurfaces in these hard moments that we have had to live, "Music to be Reborn" . I Fight, "In Autumn", are some highlights. Paz surprises with the classic "You Are The Sunshine" by Johnny Cash, a beautiful song with piano arrangements, where for the first time, the Asturian artist puts her voice to this adaptation . Recorded at Drax Audio Studios - Madrid, July 2021 (© 2021. Paz del Castillo. All rights reserved.
It is an executive production of Paz del Castillo Music.
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