El pianista richard clayderman biography

Richard Clayderman (French pronunciation:[ʁiʃaʁ klɛidɛʁman]; born Philippe PagèsFrench pronunciation:[filip paʒɛs], 28 December in Paris) is a French pianist who has released numerous albums including the compositions of Paul de Senneville, Olivier Toussaint and Marc Minier, instrumental renditions of popular music, rearrangements of movie soundtracks, ethnic music, and easy-listening arrangements of popular works of classical music.

Early life

Clayderman learned piano from his father, an accordion teacher.

At the age of twelve, he was accepted into the Conservatoire de Paris, where he won great acclaim in his later adolescent years. Financial difficulties, precipitated by his father's illness, forestalled a promising career as a classical pianist. In order to earn a living, he found work as a bank clerk and as an accompanist to contemporary bands. He accompanied French singers such as Johnny Hallyday, Thierry Le Luron, and Michel Sardou.

"Ballade pour Adeline"

Main article: Ballade pour Adeline

In , he was invited by Olivier Toussaint, a French record producer, and his partner Paul de Senneville, to record a gentle piano ballad. De Senneville had composed this ballad as a tribute to his baby daughter, Adeline. The year-old Pagès was auditioned along with 20 other pianists and got the job. "He was an interesting musician with a soft touch and good technique", said Toussaint. "And he looked good, too."

Pagès' name was changed to Richard Clayderman (he adopted his great-grandmother's last name to avoid mispronunciation of his real name outside France), and the single took off, selling 22 million copies in

Richard Clayderman, birth name Philippe Pagès in , December 28 in Paris. He is a French pianist who has released several works on popular classical works. Clayderman learned his piano lessons from his father who was a piano teacher.

He got accepted into the Conservatoire de Paris, where he excelled. In order to earn a living when his father was ill, he worked as a bank clerk and accompanist to French singers like Johnny Hallyday, Thierry Le Luron and Michel Sardou.

In , Oliver Toussaint, a  French record producer, and his colleague Paul de Senneville invited 23year old Philippe Pages to record a gentle piano ballad, a tribute to De Senneville's daughter, Adeline. Pagès got picked among the other 20 other pianists auditioned. According to Toussaint "He was an interesting musician with a soft touch and good technique, and he looked good, too". Ballade Pour Adeline sold over 22 million copies in 38 countries.

Phillips Pages changed his name to Richard Clayderman (his great-grandmother's last name) to prevent mispronunciation of his real name outside France.

Career and Fame

Clayderman has over 1, melodies recorded. He created a new romantic style which combined classics and pop standards. With sales of about million, he bagged gold's and 70 platinum albums in his career.

He is famous in Asia and is pointed out by Guinness Book of World Records as" the most successful pianist in the world" His exuberant and sophisticated instrumental approach to pop, Richard's concerts are quickly sold out.

Variety in a review of Clayderman's Carnegie Hall concert wrote, "the main appeal lies in his youth and boyish good looks He is a gentleman with charming and thick French accent .." Nancy Reagan attached the phrase "the prince of romance" to Clayderman.  A live broadcast in China in drew more than million viewers.

Clayderman holds numerous records for releasing over albums and licensed to several labels worldwide, included light classics, Andrew Llyod Webber love songs, B

French pianist (born )

Musical artist

Richard Clayderman (French pronunciation:[ʁiʃaʁkledɛʁman]; born Philippe PagèsFrench pronunciation:[filippaʒɛs], 28 December in Paris) is a French pianist who has released numerous albums including the compositions of Paul de Senneville, Olivier Toussaint and Marc Minier, instrumental renditions of popular music, rearrangements of movie soundtracks, ethnic music, and easy-listening arrangements of popular works of classical music.

Early life

Clayderman learned piano from his father, an accordion teacher.

At the age of twelve, he was accepted into the Conservatoire de Paris, where he won great acclaim in his later adolescent years. Financial difficulties, precipitated by his father's illness, forestalled a promising career as a classical pianist. In order to earn a living, he found work as a bank clerk and as an accompanist to contemporary bands. He accompanied French singers such as Johnny Hallyday, Thierry Le Luron, and Michel Sardou.

"Ballade pour Adeline"

Main article: Ballade pour Adeline

In , he was invited by Olivier Toussaint, a French record producer, and his partner Paul de Senneville, to record a gentle piano ballad. De Senneville had composed this ballad as a tribute to his baby daughter, Adeline. The year-old Pagès was auditioned along with 20 other pianists and got the job. "He was an interesting musician with a soft touch and good technique", said Toussaint. "And he looked good, too."

Pagès' name was changed to Richard Clayderman (he adopted his great-grandmother's last name to avoid mispronunciation of his real name outside France), and the single took off, selling 22 million copies in 38 countries. It was called "Ballade pour Adeline". This work was one of the most popular pieces in China, especially during the initial years of China's opening to the West, when it

Richard Clayderman (born Philippe Pagès on December 28, , Paris) is a French pianist who has released numerous albums, including renditions and arrangements of popular music, French chansons, and popular piano works of Beethoven, Chopin and Mozart.

Most of his recordings focus on popular music in general and orchestral arrangements of well-known romantic songs in particular, such as Yesterday, The Sound of Silence and Memory, rather than on Jazz or Classical Music.

He is known to alter many famous pieces of music such as Für Elise. His music is generally played with an orchestra. This accompaniment is usually with James Last's orchestra.

Biography

Born to a piano teacher,Clayderman started studying to play piano at age six, and he was accepted at Conservatoire de Paris in Paris at age After finishing Conservatory he worked as an accompanist and session musician. His life changed dramatically in , when he recorded a single "Ballade pour Adeline" (Ballade for Adeline), composed by French musical producer Paul de Senneville. The single became an instant success, selling 22 million copies in 38 countries. Since then, he has recorded over songs and has become one of the most successful instrumental recording artists in the world, with reported record sales in excess of 70 million units worldwide. In the peak of his career he performed concerts in days.

He is often credited with pioneering the piano recordings of famous Hollywood soundtracks and pop music artists, such as ABBA and The Carpenters.

Success

Clayderman has a curious market niche on third world countries, a fact mainly attributed by critics to his commercially-oriented performance of local and very popular music (especially love songs), and inexpensive, well-distributed records. On the other hand, there are people who refer to his work as elevator music, because of extensive playing of his production in neutral spaces as elevators, malls and other public spaces. Richard Clayderman, how