We’ve been eagerly anticipating the release of Sergio Díaz De Rojas‘ upcoming album since the gorgeous, delicate and warm first taste ‘Maracuyá / Barranco’ emerged in December. The Valencia based Peruvian pianist and composer has now unleashed details of the album. Entitled The Muerte en una tarde de verano, the record will see the light of day on March 10th via Nettwerk.

Sergio is also enticing us further with a new single, ‘Canción para Otto y Elsa’, a sublime and melancholic track filled with poignant beauty. The track is a tribute to his grandfather and his grandfather’s sister, who were accomplished pianists and composers, and from whom he first gained inspiration. He comments:

“Otto was my grandpa (from my mom’s side), and Elsa, his sister, my great-aunt. My grandpa only saw me play the piano once, during a classical music recital when I was around twelve years old. Elsa, on the other hand, is the person that guided me as a pianist and composer until the day I left Peru. Otto was a natural genius that played for diverse orchestras and bands, from salsa to jazz, and released various amazing records. My great-aunt is a talented multidisciplinary artist, classically-trained pianist, and the most inspiring teacher I have ever had. They have completely different styles, personalities, and life stories, but there is a piece that I know both of them love: La Comparsa by Ernesto Lecuona. I love it, too, and hope to learn how to play it one day. Until then, this is my gift to them.”

‘Canción para Otto y Elsa’ comes with an accompanying video directed by Tiago Almança and starring Miriam Serrano. Watch it below.

Photo: Tiago Almança

Born into a family of musicians, Sergio Díaz De Rojas first took up playing the classical piano when he was eleven years old and a few years later he started learning the violin. Originally from Lima, Peru and now based in Valencia, Spain, the pianist and composer first gained inspiration from his grandfather and his grandfather’s sister who were accomplished pianists and composers. But it’s much later, upon discovering neoclassical composers such as Ólafur Arnalds, Yann Tiersen, Nils Frahm, and Max Richter that his musical course changed direction. “It was a very big revelation for me to discover that there were people alive, making this music that is connected to classical music but that also feels so contemporary and relatable,” he explained.

Sergio has recently signed to the Nettwerk Music Group and announced the release of a full-length album in Spring 2023. It may seem a while away but we can already warp our ears around the gorgeous, delicate and warm ‘Maracuyá / Barranco’. Take a listen below.