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Alexis Ffrench
Alexis Ffrench
Background information
Born	1970 (age 53–54); Surrey, England
Occupation(s)	Pianist, composer, producer
Labels	Sony 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]

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

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