Richard Clayderman Returns to Australia for 40th Anniversary Tour
By: BWW News Desk May. 09, 2017
This 5-concert Australian tour will include two concerts on Friday 2 & Saturday 3 June at the Palais Theatre in Melbourne.
Richard Clayderman was born Philippe Pagès in 1953 and discovered the piano early in his life as his father was a piano teacher. At the age of six, Clayderman could read music more adeptly than his native French.
When he was twelve he was accepted at the Conservatoire of Music where, at sixteen, he won first prize. He was predicted a promising career as a classical pianist. However, shortly after this, he cast aside his classical training and turned to contemporary music.
At that time his father was ill and unable to support his son financially. So, in order to earn a living, Clayderman found work as an accompanist and session musician. His talent did not go unnoticed and he soon became much in demand as an accompanist to such major French stars as Michel Sardou, Thierry LeLuron and Johnny Halliday.
His life changed dramatically in 1976 when he received a telephone call from Olivier Toussaint, a well-known French record producer who was looking for a pianist to record a piano ballad. The 23-year-old Philippe Pagès auditioned along with 20 other hopefuls and, to his amazement, got the job. The single took off, selling 22 million copies in 38 countries. It was called "Ballade pour Adeline".
This was the start of an outstanding success story, and since that time, Richard Clayderman's distinctive piano style has earned him superstar status all over the world. Today he has recorded over 1, 200 melodies and, in the words of a German journalist, "he has arguably done more to popularise the piano around the world than anyone since Beethoven".
Richard Clayderman has created a "New Romantic" style through a repertoire that combines his 'trademark' originals with classics and pop standards. He has clocked up massive worldwide record sales of approximately 90 million including 267 Gold and 70 Platinum discs.
VENUE: Palais Theatre, Melbourne
DATE: Friday 2 & Saturday 3 June
TIME: 8.00pm
BOOKINGS: www.ticketmaster.com.au
TICKETS: Premium: $259 A Reserve: $199
B Reserve: $149 C Reserve: $99
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