| Yanni | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Yiannis Hrysomallis (or Chrysomallis) |
| Born | November 14, 1954 |
| Origin | Kalamata, Greece |
| Genre(s) | Contemporary instrumental, New Age |
| Occupation(s) | Composer Pianist |
| Instrument(s) | Piano Keyboard |
| Years active | 1980–present |
| Label(s) | Private Music/Windham Hill Virgin Records Image Entertainment |
| Associated acts | Chameleon |
| Website | www.yanni.com |
Yanni (born Yiannis Hrysomallis (Greek: Γιάννης Χρυσομάλλης, classical transcription Giannis Chrysomallis), on November 14, 1954 in Kalamata, Greece) is a self-taught pianist, keyboardist, and composer. Yanni left his homeland at the age of 18 to attend the University of Minnesota. After receiving a B.A. in psychology, he would instead seek a life in music though he had no formal training and could not read a note. After playing keyboards in local rock bands such as Chameleon, he moved to California in pursuit of movie soundtrack work. In 1987, he put together a small band which included long-time bandmate Charlie Adams, and John Tesh, and began touring to promote his earliest instrumental albums, Keys to Imagination, Out of Silence, and Chameleon Days. He later earned Grammy nominations for his 1992 album, Dare to Dream, and the 1993 follow-up, In My Time. His breakthrough success came with the release of Yanni Live at the Acropolis, a concert conducted by Iranian composer Shahrdad Rohani, filmed on September 25, 1993 at the Herod Atticus Theater in Athens, Greece, deemed to be the second best-selling music video of all time.[1] A composition from this release, "Acroyali/Standing in Motion" has been found to have the "Mozart Effect".[2] Yanni has since performed live in concert before in excess of two million people in more than 20 countries around the world. His North American concert tours in 1995, 1998 and 2003-5 each finished in the Top 10 concert tours of the year. He has accumulated more than 35 platinum and gold albums globally, with sales totaling over 20 million copies.[1] Considered to be one of the top fundraisers of all time for public television, he has appeared on several major PBS Pledge TV Specials such as A Decade Of Excellence, including segments from Live at the Acropolis, Tribute, and Live at Royal Albert Hall, London. Yanni's compositions have been included in all Olympic Games television broadcasts since 1988,[1] and his music has been used extensively in television and televised sporting events. In 1997, he became one of the few performers allowed to perform at the Taj Mahal, India. His most recent live concert film, Yanni Live! The Concert Event, was released in 2006.
On May 6, 2004, the regents of the University of Minnesota conferred upon Yanni the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.
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Yanni is a self-taught pianist who began his musical career by giving recitals for family members. Early in his life, he was also a competitive swimmer in Greece and set a national record in the 50-meter freestyle competition. He later attended the University of Minnesota and earned a B.A. in psychology. After graduation, Yanni chose to attempt a career in music, although he could not read music and had no formal training. Using his own form of musical shorthand, he began writing original works. [3]
While a student at the University of Minnesota, Yanni joined an up-and-coming local group called Chameleon where he met drummer Charlie Adams.[3] Chameleon earned some modest commercial success touring throughout the Midwest, particularly in the states of Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and South Dakota.
Eventually, Yanni grew tired of the rock and roll lifestyle and focused solely on his instrumental career as a soloist. He moved to Los Angeles and eventually formed a small band including Charlie Adams and John Tesh. His music is frequently described as "new age", though he prefers the term "contemporary instrumental".[3]
Dare to Dream was released in 1992. It was Yanni’s first Grammy-nominated album and featured "Aria", a song based on The Flower Duet and popularized by an award-winning British Airways commercial. A second Grammy-nominated album, In My Time, was released in 1993. His music has been used extensively in television and televised sporting events, including the Super Bowl, Wide World of Sports, U.S. Open, Tour de France, World Figure Skating Championships, The Olympics, and ABC News.[4]
Yanni's breakthrough commercial success came with the release of his album and video, Yanni Live at the Acropolis, which was filmed on September 23, 1993 at the 2,000-year-old Herod Atticus Theater in Athens, Greece,[5] and released in 1994. This was Yanni’s first live album and utilized a full orchestra under the supervision of conductor Shardad Rohani, in addition to his core band. Subsequently, the concert was broadcast in the US on PBS and quickly became one of their most popular programs ever, having been seen in 65 countries by half a billion people.[6] It has almost continuously remained on the charts since its release and is the second best-selling music video of all time, selling more than 7 million copies worldwide.[1] A composition from this album, "Acroyali/Standing in Motion", was determined to have the "Mozart Effect," by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine because it is similar to Mozart's K 448 in tempo, structure, melodic and harmonic consonance and predictability.[2][7]
In March 1997, Yanni became one of the few Western artists permitted to perform and record at the Taj Mahal in India. Later that year he performed at the Forbidden City in China. From these two events he created his next live album and video, Tribute, which was released in 1997. Armen Anassian, Conductor, concedes that he had some doubts about the artist's plans to perform at India's Taj Mahal and China's Forbidden City for Tribute: "To be honest, a few years ago when he was talking about it, the idea was so amazing. I myself was very skeptical, understandably so. But the truth is, it happened. We did it."[8] Anassian describes Yanni as "very optimistic" and has observed that "nothing really fazes him."[8] That outlook carries over naturally to his music. "I don't think it's a goal, per se. He's very honest with his own feelings. His music really comes from the heart. He writes music with ease, the music comes out with relative ease. The feel-good portion of the music is a by-product. It coincides with what the people love to hear."[8]
In 2000, after a two-year sabbatical, Yanni released his first studio album in seven years: If I Could Tell You.
Yanni also toured in 2003–2004 with the debut of the Ethnicity album extending his "One World, One People" philosophy. This album sparked what would become the 4th largest concert tour of the year ranked by Billboard Magazine.
On May 06, 2004, the regents of the University of Minnesota conferred upon Yanni the honorary degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.
He kicked off his 2004–2005 "Yanni Live!" tour at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada, and his next live album and video, Yanni Live! The Concert Event was released in 2006.
On March 6, 2006, Yanni was arrested after a fight with his girlfriend, Silvia Barthes. On March 31, 2006, the domestic abuse charges against Yanni were dropped.[9]
In 2008, in collaboration with producer Ric Wake, Yanni showcases vocal artists singing to his classic songs, Yanni Voices, an online-only digital EP. [10] On March 24, 2009, Disney Pearl Imprint will release Yanni Voices, the artist's first studio album in six years, and its Buena Vista Concerts division will produce an extensive tour beginning in April.[11]
Yanni's autobiography, Yanni in Words, co-authored by David Rensin, was released in February 2003. It is a memoir which includes information about his early childhood in Greece, his college years in Minnesota, his success as an international music artist with his exploration into the creative process by which he composes, and his nine-year relationship with actress Linda Evans. The book coincided with the release his 13th album Ethnicity and was soon declared a New York Times Bestseller.
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