James began playing the piano at the age of 4, inspired by his sister. When he was 10 years old, he started taking lessons with pianist Eliane Rodrigues after attending one of her masterclasses. In the years that followed, James studied many classical pieces and won several prizes in classical piano competitions such as ‘Prinses Christina Concours’ and ‘Cantabile’. His favorite composers were Chopin, Liszt and Debussy.

At 15, James began composing his own music, shaped by a challenging youth and his wonder about our nature and universe. His pieces became a way to express emotion and imagination. He was also influenced by Greek philosophy and mythology, and the poetry of Homer and Shakespeare. During this time, he was especially drawn to the music of Ludovico Einaudi, Hans Zimmer, and Tony Anderson.

At 18, James enrolled in university to study mathematics. Rather than focusing on established theories, he found himself developing his own ideas and spending most of his study time composing music, writing fantasy novels, and playing chess. Feeling limited by the lack of space for his creativity, he eventually left his studies in mathematics and enrolled at the conservatory in Antwerp to study music composition.

In December 2019, James won Belgium’s Got Talent with a self-composed cinematic piece for piano and orchestra. After this, he left the conservatory, where he again felt limited in his creativity and visions, to focus entirely on his path as an artist and share his music with the world.

A stage set featuring a cityscape backdrop with a moon, illuminated by blue lights, with performers, one at a keyboard, surrounded by fog.
A person playing a grand piano on stage with a large animated projection of a girl reaching upward in the background.

What was meant to be the start of his career took an unexpected turn with the COVID-19 pandemic. Concerts were canceled, plans fell through, and the momentum of Belgium’s Got Talent faded. During this time, he faced difficult challenges, both professionally and personally, including the loss of his best friend in 2021. These experiences changed him. They strengthened his resolve to keep going and gave his music a deeper purpose: to heal, to inspire, and to make this world a better place.

In Winter 2022, after a few small self-organized concerts in Belgium, James traveled across Europe as a street musician. Playing outdoors, often in almost freezing temperatures, he connected with people from all walks of life. The journey became an adventure that shaped him and led to the creation of new music.

A street musician playing a keyboard outdoors in a park with a group of people standing nearby, some listening attentively and others talking or using their phones, during late afternoon or early evening.
A street musician playing a keyboard on a city street while people walk around and take photos in black and white.
A young man with sunglasses playing a keyboard outdoors at a park on a sunny day, with palm trees and other people walking or riding bicycles in the background.
A person playing a keyboard on a wooden pier overlooking a beach with buildings and mountains in the background during sunset or sunrise.
People gathering in front of a modern building with a large staircase and a distinctive rooftop structure. Two musicians are performing in the foreground, with one playing a keyboard, and a blanket and bags are on the ground nearby. The scene includes individuals wearing masks and dressed warmly, indicating cooler weather.
A young man playing a keyboard on the street in a city square, with a crowd of people walking and standing around during cloudy weather.

After his journey through Europe, James traveled to Los Angeles to attend masterclasses in film music. In his free time, he played at iconic places like the Santa Monica Pier and 3rd Street Promenade, where he was confronted with the strong contrast between wealth and poverty. He used his music to give people living on the streets a better moment, sharing whatever food and drinks he had.

A young man wearing a baseball cap and hoodie playing keyboard on a pier with a Ferris wheel and ocean in the background.
People walking on a wooden pier during sunset with the ocean and mountains in the background.

Later that year, James moved to Paris to further develop his career, working with a manager. He continued performing on the streets, this time at the Pont d’Arcole near Notre-Dame. After a few months, he chose to part ways with his management and continue on his own path, staying true to himself, his freedom and his artistic vision.

A young man plays a keyboard on a riverbank at dusk, with city buildings and bridges illuminated in the background.

In January 2023, James moved to Ostend, where he organized his own concerts. The results were discouraging, nearly empty halls and high costs. His music received little recognition, except from those who heard him on the streets. No agency, label, or media outlet in his home country showed interest, and his outreach was met with silence or rejection. The police in Ostend even prohibited him from performing in public spaces such as streets, parks, and the beach. But, he chose to continue, which led to fines, and at one point, he was close to being arrested. His equipment was stolen multiple times. People around him began to doubt his path. But James kept going. He had already seen the impact of his music and believed in his mission.

He began building a following on social media, sharing piano videos and livestreams in natural settings. When needed, he performed with headphones so the police couldn’t intervene, while livestream viewers could still hear the music. He took his keyboard to rooftops at sunset, into remote natural landscapes, and even into the mountains, combining the cinematic quality of his music with the beauty of nature. Within six months, his videos and livestreams began to spread across social media.

By the end of 2023 and into early 2024, James performed two successful self-organized cinematic piano shows in his home country, marking a shift.


Young man sitting near a pond playing a keyboard, surrounded by green trees and people in the background.
A person with headphones and a denim jacket sitting on a bench at the beach during sunset, operating electronic music equipment.
Close-up of hands playing a white and black keyboard on the beach at sunset, with ocean and sky in the background.
Person playing the piano outdoors near water, with trees and sky in the background, in black and white.
Two musicians performing on stage with a piano and cello, illuminated by stage lighting, with silhouettes of audience members watching.
A man in a white suit is performing on stage, playing a Yamaha grand piano, with a microphone, in front of an audience. Stage lighting features red and purple hues with fog or smoke effects.
A person playing a grand piano on a dimly lit stage with spotlights overhead and potted plants on either side.
A silhouette of a man playing the piano on stage, illuminated from behind with a spotlight creating a dramatic black-and-white effect.
A person playing a grand piano at night, dressed in a light-colored suit, with their head bowed, focused on playing music.

In March 2024, the label Nordic Euphonic Records (NER) reached out to James about releasing his music. This collaboration helped his songs gain more visibility on streaming platforms, further expanding his reach. During the spring, James traveled to Paris, Vienna, and the Austrian Alps, continuing to draw inspiration from the beauty of these locations. Alongside his music, he developed his photography, allowing him to deepen his early passion for nature, capturing wildlife and natural landscapes.

Close-up of a person's hand playing a white piano outdoors during dusk, with a blurred city skyline in the background.
A person playing a piano outdoors with mountains and a waterfall in the background.
Close-up of a person's hand playing a piano keyboard at night with a blurred blue and purple lit background.
A person playing a keyboard with the Eiffel Tower illuminated in the background at night.

In July 2024, he moved back to his hometown Genk, Belgium, where he established his own music studio to record and produce his music. James's music and mission began attracting worldwide attention, with his livestreams and videos reaching millions of people across the globe. He decided to go on a world tour in 2025, with his own show, Piano - Darkness and Light. The tour kicked off in New York City in February 2025, followed by performances across Europe.

In June 2025, he signed with the Berlin-based label Aemeralds. His music began reaching a wider audience on streaming platforms, with tracks like ‘Moody Blue’ and ‘Magical Violet’. He used his nature photography as artworks for his releases, and received recognition in international photography contests, including a Platinum Award at the Global Photography Awards in the nature category (September 2025). He continued to give international concerts in 2026, with his first show in April in London.

A man in a light-colored suit playing a grand piano on a dark stage, with a quote in the bottom right corner that reads "There are only Black and White keys, but the challenge is to play all colours in between."