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Yann Tiersen

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Yann Tiersen
Yann Tiersen in concert in Germany, 2007
Background information
Birth name	Yann Tiersen
Born	June 23 1970 (1970-06-23) (age 37)
Origin	Brest, Brittany, France
Genre(s)	Minimalist, New Age, Avant-Garde
Occupation(s)	Musician, Songwriter
Instrument(s)	Piano, Violin, Accordion, Guitar, Voice
Years active	1995 - Present
Label(s)	Virgin/EMI
Website	Official website

Yann Tiersen (born June 23 1970) is a French Avant-Garde/New Age Musician and composer known for his versatility, minimalist compositions, and virtuosity as a multi-instrumentalist. Most of his pieces include piano, accordion, melodica and violin, although many offer a much wider selection of instruments and sounds. Critics sometimes compare him to Erik Satie, Philip Glass, Nino Rota, Mogwai, Steve Reich, and the Penguin Café Orchestra for their musical proximity.

Biography

Tiersen was born in Brittany, France, in 1970 and received classical training at several musical academies, including those in Rennes, Nantes, and Boulogne. Before releasing scores under his own name, Tiersen recorded background music for a number of plays and short films, such as La Vie Rêvée des Anges (1998, Erick Zonca), Alice et Martin (1998, André Téchiné), Qui Plume la Lune? (Christine Carrière, 1999). He rose to domestic fame upon the release of his third album, Le Phare, but remained relatively unknown outside France until the release of his score for Le fabuleux destin d'Amélie Poulain in 2001, which was a mixture of both new and previously released material. Tiersen favors the piano, accordion, and violin, but is also known for his experimentation and use of obscure instruments like the ondes martenot and the typewriter. Yann Tiersen's list of collaborators continues to grow album after album (see discography below for details). While composing his fifth album, L'absente, Tiersen lent his musical talent to Françoiz Breut and Les Têtes Raides for their own albums. His 2005 album, Les Retrouvailles, featured vocals from Stuart Staples of Tindersticks, Jane Birkin, and Elizabeth Fraser, formerly of Cocteau Twins. Tiersen also played piano on Staples' solo album, Lucky Dog Recordings 03-04. His live performances vary greatly. Sometimes he is accompanied by an orchestra and many guest collaborators, like Dominique A. Others, he offers the more frequent minimalistic sessions, usually accompanied only by a drummer/bassist and a guitarist, with Tiersen switching seamlessly between piano, accordion, and violin for his lighter songs, and electric guitar for his harder pieces.