Alexis Ffrench is a British pianist, composer and producer of production music, born in 1970. He works across contemporary classical, modern classical and neoclassical styles, and also improvises at the piano.

Early life and training

He begins improvising on the piano at the age of four. By the age of seven he is a church organist. He wins scholarships to the Purcell School and the Royal Academy of Music in London in 1981, then later receives another scholarship to the Guildhall School of Music & Drama. At the Guildhall he graduates with an AGSM Distinction and the Sheriffs’ Prize for piano. He then completes two years of postgraduate study on the Advanced Solo Studies course, ending with a Premier prix Concert Recital Diploma.

Performance career

Ffrench first comes to prominence as a solo classical pianist in 1992, when he wins the first Portobello Concert Artists Award. In the same year he makes his concerto debut in Simon Rattle’s Towards the Millennium series, performing Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue at London’s Queen Elizabeth Hall. He also appears at venues and events including the Barbican, the South Bank Centre, Canterbury Festival, St Martin-in-the-Fields and Peterborough Cathedral. His performances are also broadcast on Classic FM and Radio 3.

He gives concerts abroad in Italy, including appearances at the Bolzano and Montepulciano festivals, and also performs in Spain and Germany. His television work includes a live BBC2 performance with the Commonwealth Chamber Orchestra of music by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor.

Improvisation and repertoire

Ffrench is known as a leading exponent of classical contemporary improvisation in live solo concerts and on recordings. His improvisations are described in his own terms as spiritual and mystical, and he treats the form as spontaneous and responsive to the listener. His CD Memories in Blue consists of jazz-inflected solo piano improvisations on songs by Andrew Lloyd Webber.

Compositions, collaborations and publishing

His compositions include film and television scores as well as symphonic and chamber works for the concert hall. In 1996 he signs a worldwide publishing deal with Hit and Run Music, which leads to collaborations with a range of classical and popular artists, including Andrea Bocelli and Mike Rutherford of Genesis.

Awards and recognition

He wins a number of prizes and scholarships, including the Carnwarth Scholarship from the Worshipful Company of Musicians, awards from the Countess of Munster and Myra Hess trusts, prizes from the Barings and Johnsons’ Wax foundations, and a major prize in the 1992 Royal Overseas League Music Competition. He also receives praise from conductors and composers including Robert Ziegler, Michael Berkeley and Robert Saxton.

Other work

Alongside performing, Ffrench holds a Head of Keyboard post at Uppingham School.

Label

He releases music through Alexis Ffrench Music Limited.