Steven Aswin and Sunroom Sessions, a recurring intimate concert at A-kerk in Groningen!
From Living Room Concerts to Nationwide Recognition
From his living room in Amsterdam to sold-out shows across the country. Two years ago, pianist, singer, and composer Steven Aswin hosted his first living room concert in Amsterdam-Zuid. Under the name Sunroom Sessions, this small-scale initiative quickly grew into a nationwide series. What started as evenings for friends and neighbors now fills unique venues from Groningen to Eindhoven. This development didn’t happen by chance: Steven believes that an artist or musician should seek out their audience rather than wait to be discovered.
The Musical Journey of Steven Aswin
He began playing the piano at a young age. By fifteen, he was performing with singer Karsu, touring jazz festivals and stages from the Singer Theater in Laren and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam to Carnegie Hall in New York. Performing is more than a passion for him; it’s about the audience. His goal has remained unchanged, he says: to help people relax, bring a smile to their face, or move them to tears.
The Birth of Sunroom Sessions
In the years that followed, Steven often performed on stage, but he realized organizing and entrepreneurship suited him just as well. The idea for Sunroom Sessions came to him on the train, together with his friend Piet: why not start at home? For the first evening, he drove to IKEA, bought twenty stools, and assembled them himself. Still, people sat on the carpet, right in front of the piano in the sunroom. This mix of entrepreneurial spirit and homely atmosphere turned out to be the charm of his concerts.
The Meaning Behind the Name
The name actually refers to the sunroom in his Amsterdam home. Hence the English title: Sunroom Sessions.
From Living Rooms to Larger Venues
By the time he realized his home was too small for all the visitors, he started looking for external venues and discovered the Keizersgrachtkerk in Amsterdam. Designed by the same architect as the world-famous Paradiso, the building offered the perfect space for a larger audience. Here he launched his intimate concert series featuring various artists, genres, and stories—without losing the cozy atmosphere.
Concerts Across the Netherlands
From the Keizersgrachtkerk, Steven quickly expanded his concerts to other locations in Amsterdam, Huizen, The Hague, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Eindhoven, Zwolle, and also at the A-kerk in Groningen. Two years and sixty intimate concerts later, he still sits behind the piano, focused on entertaining his audience. In Groningen, Steven Aswin will perform on September 5 at the A-kerk. This will be his third show in the North. Want to attend a performance? Get your tickets via his website: www.sunroomsessions.nl/groningen.
