Richard Clayderman

Richard Clayderman (born December 28, 1953, Paris, France) is a French pianist who has released numerous albums, including his renditions of some of the works of composers like Beethoven, Liszt, Chopin an

Richard Clayderman (born December 28, 1953, Paris, France) is a French pianist who has released numerous albums, including his renditions of some of the works of composers like Beethoven, Liszt, Chopin and Mozart. He is also known for his symphonical rendition of many modern songs including Yesterday, The Sound of Silence and Memory. Although many may say that he is a classical pianist, such information is debatable since Richard Clayderman predominantly records popular music rather than classical music. His career as a classical pianist is also limited at best. Richard Clayderman mainly plays contemporary love songs.

Born Philippe Pagès, to a piano teacher, Clayderman started studying to play piano at age six, and he was accepted at a Conservatory of Music at age 12. After finishing Conservatory he worked as an accompanist and session musician. His life changed dramatically in 1976, when he recorded a single "Ballade pour Adeline". The single became an instant success, selling 22 million copies in 38 countries. Since then, he has recorded over 1000 songs and has become one of the most successful instrumental recording artists in the world, selling in excess of 70 million records worldwide. In the peak of his career he performed 200 concerts in 250 days.