Alexis Ffrench

Last updated

Alexis Ffrench
Alexis Ffrench - Live - Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama.jpg
Background information
Born1970 (age 5354)
Surrey, England
Occupation(s)Pianist, composer, producer
LabelsSony Music
Website www.alexisffrenchmusic.com

Alexis Ffrench (born 1970) is a British classical and soul musician, composer, producer, and pianist. Ffrench's music has more than 500 million streams and both albums Evolution (2018) and Dreamland (2020) reached No. 1 in the Classical Music Charts. [1]

Contents

Ffrench has headlined the Royal Albert Hall, collaborated with fashion houses Miyake and Hugo Boss, played Latitude Festival, worked with pop artist Paloma Faith, and composed several film scores. [2] [3] An advocate for music education, Ffrench is a Governing Body Member and Trustee of the Royal Academy of Music, London, and is the first artistic director of the Royal Schools of Music. As a broadcaster, Ffrench is the host of Classical Connections on Apple Music 1. [1]

Career

Ffrench has been improvising on the piano since the age of four. He received scholarships to study at the Purcell School for Young Musicians and the Royal Academy of Music. [4] He is known for his unusual style of combining his classical training with a love of roots music and R&B. [5]

Ffrench is signed to Sony Music [6] and Modest! Management. In 2017, he released his singles "Bluebird", [7] "Radiate" [8] and a cover of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". [9]

Ffrench delivers educational programmes on writing and producing music to young people, and has partnered with the Prince's Trust, MJ Cole, Marvin Humes and other special guests. [1]

In 2019, Ffrench joined Scala Radio as a presenter. [10]

In March 2021, he became Scala Radio's composer in residence. [11]

In 2022, Ffrench released his new album Truth, [12] also releasing the single "One Look", featuring Leona Lewis.

Influences

Ffrench points to the hip-hop community's success in getting across its complex musical messages to the mainstream. He cites the challenging music of Kendrick Lamar and Anderson .Paak as examples of superstars doing it their way. "Kendrick Lamar's song 'Humble' is like Béla Bartók's Out Of Doors suite, in the pugilistic bass notes in the extremities of the piano at the opening of both works. I think to attract a contemporary audience, classical can learn from how hip-hop has marketed its music and ideas." The mix of Kendrick Lamar and Bartok, Shostakovich and Ariana Grande is present throughout Ffrench's weekly Sunday show on Scala Radio, a broad church where Ffrench highlights the song craft in pop and revels in classical majesty. He has been praised by The Times with the words: "If a single person epitomizes the new push towards making classical music more diverse, eclectic and unstuffy, it's Alexis Ffrench. As a pianist and composer, he creates tonal music that beguiles newcomers with its gentleness and beauty, yet also has enough half-concealed nods to Chopin, Debussy, Satie and other historical figures to keep connoisseurs interested." [1]

Ffrench's 2020 single "Walk With Us" pays homage to the Black Lives Matter movement, with 100 per cent of label net proceeds and artist record royalties donated to the cause. [13]

Discography

Albums

YearTitle
2006Piano Diaries
2009The Secret Piano
Piano Arias
The Singing Planet
Meditations
2012Piano Karma
2013Stolen Lullabies
2015Escape
2016The Piano Whisperer
2018Evolution [7]
2020Dreamland [14]
2022Truth [12]
2024Classical Soul Vol.1 [15]

Film scores

YearTitleDirector
2018The House Where The Mermaid Sleeps Yukihiko Tsutsumi

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leif Ove Andsnes</span> Norwegian pianist and chamber musician

Leif Ove Andsnes is a Norwegian pianist and chamber musician. Andsnes has made several recordings for Virgin and EMI. In 2012, Andsnes signed with Sony Classical, and recorded for the label the "Beethoven Journey" project, which included the five piano concertos with the Mahler Chamber Orchestra. The works were recorded over three years, beginning with Nos. 1 and 3 in 2012, followed by Nos. 2 and 4 in 2013 and the Fifth Piano Concerto and Choral Fantasy in 2014. He is represented by IMG.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Murray Perahia</span> American pianist and conductor

Murray David Perahia is an American pianist and conductor. He has been considered one of the greatest living pianists. He was the first North American pianist to win the Leeds International Piano Competition, in 1972. Known as a leading interpreter of Bach, Handel, Scarlatti, Mozart, Beethoven, and Schumann, among other composers, Perahia has won numerous awards, including three Grammy Awards from a total of 18 nominations, and 9 Gramophone Awards in addition to its first and only "Piano Award".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sony Classical Records</span> American record label

Sony Classical is an American record label founded in 1924 as Columbia Masterworks Records, a subsidiary of Columbia Records. In 1980, the Columbia Masterworks label was renamed as CBS Masterworks Records. The CBS Records Group was acquired by Sony in 1988, and in 1990 it was renamed Sony Classical.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arcadi Volodos</span> Musical artist

Arcadi Arcadievich Volodos is a Russian-born French pianist. One of the world's most acclaimed pianists, he has won such awards as the Echo Klassik, Gramophone Award, Diapason d'Or, and Edison Award for his discography.

Discography for the cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

The Piano Concerto No. 2 in G major, Sz. 95, BB 101 of Béla Bartók is a musical composition for piano and orchestra. The work, which was composed between 1930 and 1931, is notorious for being one of the most difficult pieces in the repertoire. Playing time is 26–29 minutes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Martin Fröst</span> Swedish clarinetist and conductor

Martin Fröst is a Swedish clarinetist and conductor. As a clarinetist, he performs internationally and is considered one of the most renowned instrumental soloists ever.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Khatia Buniatishvili</span> Georgian concert pianist

Khatia Buniatishvili is a Georgian concert pianist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christian Gerhaher</span> German opera singer

Christian Gerhaher is a German baritone and bass singer in opera and concert, particularly known as a Lieder singer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kendrick Lamar</span> American rapper and songwriter (born 1987)

Kendrick Lamar Duckworth is an American rapper and songwriter. Regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation, and one of the greatest rappers of all time, he is known for his technical artistry and complex songwriting. He was awarded the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Music, becoming the first musician outside of the classical and jazz genres to be honored.

Pantsula is a tradition and also a highly energetic dance form that originated in the black townships of South Africa during the apartheid era. It developed into a form of social commentary for black South Africans and has undergone several transformations with the country's changing political tides.

"Backseat Freestyle" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It debuted on October 15, 2012 in the United Kingdom as the third single from Lamar's second studio album Good Kid, M.A.A.D City (2012). It was released in the United States with the album's release on October 22, 2012. "Backseat Freestyle" was written by Lamar and Chauncey Hollis and produced by Hollis under his stage name Hit-Boy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Lacy</span> American musician (born 1998)

Steve Thomas Lacy-Moya is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He gained recognition as the guitarist of the alternative R&B band the Internet, which he joined in 2015. His self-produced debut EP, Steve Lacy's Demo (2017), was met with critical praise and became a sleeper hit. Lacy then guest performed alongside Frank Ocean on Tyler, the Creator's 2017 single "911 / Mr. Lonely", which received double platinum certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). That year, he also co-wrote songs for artists including Solange Knowles, and Kendrick Lamar on his song "Pride".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Humble (song)</span> 2017 single by Kendrick Lamar

"Humble" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released on March 30, 2017, along with its music video, by Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The song was written by Lamar and producers Mike Will Made It and Pluss. The lyrics are a call to humility. It was provided to rhythmic contemporary radio as the lead single from Lamar's fourth studio album, Damn.

<i>Damn</i> (Kendrick Lamar album) 2017 studio album by Kendrick Lamar

Damn is the fourth studio album by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, released on April 14, 2017, through Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. Lamar assembled numerous artists and producers to produce the album, including executive producer and Top Dawg Entertainment label-head Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith, Sounwave, DJ Dahi, Mike Will Made It, and Ricci Riera, as well as further production contributions from James Blake, Steve Lacy, BadBadNotGood, Greg Kurstin, the Alchemist, and 9th Wonder, among others. It features guest appearances from Rihanna, Zacari, and U2.

"XXX" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar, from his fourth studio album Damn, released on April 14, 2017. The eleventh track on the album, the song was written by Lamar, Mike Will Made It, DJ Dahi, Mark Spears a.k.a. Sounwave, Anthony Tiffith, Bono, the Edge, Adam Clayton, and Larry Mullen Jr., and produced by Mike Will Made It, DJ Dahi, and Sounwave, with additional production by Top Dawg and Bēkon. The song features samples of the songs "America" by Bēkon and "American Soul" by Irish rock band U2. Although not released as a single, the song charted in multiple countries in 2017. These countries include Ireland, New Zealand, United States of America, Canada, United Kingdom, and Sweden. Though it only appeared for 1 week for the New Zealand, Sweden, and United Kingdom charts, it stayed for 3 weeks on Ireland and United States charts, and remained on the Canada music charts for 4 weeks. The highest the song ever reached on any country's primary music chart was at number 22 in Ireland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcin Patrzalek</span> Polish guitarist (born 2000)

Marcin Patrzałek, known mononymously as Marcin, is a Polish percussive fingerstyle guitarist, composer, and producer. He is known for combining fingerstyle, percussive guitar techniques with modern electronic and orchestral production. He first gained popularity in 2015 after winning the ninth edition of Polish talent show Must Be The Music, the prize for which was 100,000 Polish złoty and an additional 100,000 złoty for promotion of his music on Polish radio station RMF FM. After local success, he went on to release his debut record HUSH, the release of which was accompanied by singles including Patrzalek's percussive arrangement of Isaac Albéniz's "Asturias"; the video of the arrangement was released through fingerstyle label CandyRat Records. In subsequent years, Patrzałek's popularity grew rapidly beyond Polish borders due to multiple viral releases online. His videos were posted and discussed by notable publishers such as Rolling Stone, Metal Hammer, Classic FM, Guitar World, Billboard as well as independently. Patrzalek's performances have amassed over 150 million views online, the main contributors to this number being his solo acoustic guitar arrangements of major classical pieces such as Moonlight Sonata or Beethoven's 5th Symphony, as well as popular music, rock arrangements, and original compositions.

Magic Classical is a British digital radio station owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK. The station was launched in March 2019 as Scala Radio and broadcasts nationally on DAB Digital Radio, via Smart speaker, app, and online. The station was the first national classical music service to launch on terrestrial radio in the UK since Classic FM in 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Lapwood</span> Musical artist

Anna Ruth Ella Lapwood is a British organist, choir director and television and radio presenter. In 2016 she was appointed Director of Music at Pembroke College, Cambridge, one of the youngest people ever to have directed an Oxford or Cambridge university college choir, and in 2018 she established a girls' choir at the College. As an associate artist at the Royal Albert Hall in London since 2022, her recordings have reached a wide audience on social media.

"N95" is a song by American rapper Kendrick Lamar. It was released as the lead single from his fifth studio album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers, on May 20, 2022, through PGLang, Top Dawg Entertainment, Aftermath Entertainment and Interscope Records. The song was produced by Boi-1da, Sounwave and Jahaan Sweet, with additional production by Lamar's cousin, fellow American rapper and record producer Baby Keem.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Alexis Ffrench". Alexis Ffrench. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  2. "Alexis Ffrench Shares Powerful New 'Walk With Us' Video". Clash Magazine. 3 September 2020. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  3. "Alexis Ffrench". Alexis Ffrench. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  4. "Alexis Ffrench reveals video for 'Bluebird' - premiere" . The Independent. 22 September 2017. Archived from the original on 25 September 2017. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  5. "Sony Classical signs Alexis Ffrench" . Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  6. "Sony Classical signs Alexis Ffrench". www.musicweek.com. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  7. 1 2 "Alexis Ffrench - Evolution Evolution | CD". www.sonyclassical.de. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  8. Alexis Ffrench - Radiate , retrieved 23 June 2022
  9. Entertainment, Sony Music. "Sony Classical". Sony Classical (in German). Retrieved 14 November 2017.
  10. "Alexis Ffrench". Scala Radio. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  11. "Alexis Ffrench named Scala Radio's Composer in Residence". RadioToday. 5 March 2021. Retrieved 23 March 2021.
  12. 1 2 "Alexis Ffrench - Truth Truth | CD". www.sonyclassical.de. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  13. Murray, Robin (3 September 2020). "Alexis Ffrench Shares Powerful New 'Walk With Us' Video". Clash Magazine . Retrieved 3 November 2020.
  14. "Alexis Ffrench - Dreamland Dreamland | CD". www.sonyclassical.de. Retrieved 23 June 2022.
  15. "Latest Alexis Ffrench News". Alexis Ffrench | Official Website.