Music is far more than sound and silence. It can feed a weary spirit and soothe a troubled soul. It can ennoble and beautify, but it can also demean and make ugly. Light and dark are both at work in the world and also in music. Christoffel is a man of three nations: the Netherlands, South Africa, and Tasmania. Having played since before he can remember, when Christoffel sits at the piano, it feels like he’s with an old friend. He likes to use his cultural background to inform his repertoire and his playing, and he places a high value on selecting repertoire that he truly believes has the ability to resonate with his audience.  

Christoffel was born in 1999 to Dutch and Afrikaans parents in the Netherlands. The family emigrated to Tasmania, and his mother started giving him piano lessons when he was 4 years old. He then studied with Judy Mcintosh in Launceston for many years, before having lessons and masterclasses from notable local pianists Robert Allen, Kent Furmage, and Lynda Jessup. He then started lessons in Hobart with international concert pianist Michael Kieran Harvey. He studied at the Conservatorium of Tasmania in Hobart with Arabella Teniswood-Harvey and Shan Deng before continuing in the Netherlands, at the Utrecht Conservatorium, with Henry Kelder.

Christoffel has a wide range of concert experience, and over the years he has performed in numerous concerts and competitions as a soloist, accompanist, chamber musician, orchestral musician, piano concerto soloist, and even as a percussionist and a cellist. In his free time, he likes to learn about the history of the world and of music; read literature; explore the world around him; and spend time with his friends and family. Christoffel enjoys living in the beautiful city of Utrecht and currently works as a freelance performer, teacher, and member of the Ex Ubique clarinet trio.