Pianist and musicologist Ralph van Raat studied piano at the Conservatory of Amsterdam with Ton Hartsuiker and Willem Brons, and Musicology at the University of Amsterdam. He completed both studies Cum Laude. As part of his piano studies, he studied with Claude Helffer in Paris, Ursula Oppens in Chicago (Northwestern University) and Pierre-Laurent Aimard in Cologne (Hochschule für Musik Köln).
Ralph van Raat won prizes at various competitions, such as the second prize and the Donemus Prize of the Princess Christina Competition, the Darmstadt Stipendium prize during the International Ferienkurse für Neue Musik in Darmstadt, the first prize at the International Gaudeamus Interpreters Competition, the (Philip Morris) Art Prize, the Elisabeth Everts Prize, an international Borletti-Buitoni Fellowship, the Philip Morris Art Prize, the VSCD Classical Music Prize and the Classical Prize of the NTR.
Ralph van Raat gives solo recitals and concerts with orchestras in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and the United States. He played as a soloist with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Sinfonietta, Antwerp Symphony Orchestra, Cape Town Philharmonic, China National Symphony Orchestra, Cairo Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and Frankfurt Radio Symphony. He worked with conductors such as Valery Gergiev, David Robertson, and Peter Eötvös. A large number of concerts have been broadcast by national and international radio and television broadcasters.
Van Raat released a large number of internationally successful CDs for various labels, many of which were bestsellers in the Netherlands and abroad. Since 2006, he has had a recording contract with Naxos International.
Ralph van Raat collaborated with a large number of composers such as John Adams, Louis Andriessen, Gavin Bryars, Joep Franssens, Arvo Pärt, Tan Dun and John Tavener. A large number of composers have also dedicated work to him.
Ralph was named Steinway Artist in 2003. In addition to his concert practice, he is a teacher of contemporary piano music at the Conservatory of Amsterdam.