David Fray facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
David Fray
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| Background information | |
| Born | 24 May 1981 Tarbes, France |
| Genres | Classical |
| Occupation(s) | Pianist |
| Instruments | Piano |
| Years active | 2005–present |
| Labels | Warner/Erato Classics |
David Fray, born on May 24, 1981, is a talented French classical pianist. He became famous for his amazing piano playing. People also noticed his unique style during performances and rehearsals. In 2008, the BBC Music Magazine called him the "Newcomer of the Year." A documentary called Swing, Sing and Think even showed his interesting ways.
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About David Fray
David Fray was born in Tarbes, a town near the Pyrenees mountains in France. His parents were both teachers. His father taught philosophy, and his mother taught German.
Early Career and Awards
David Fray started his professional music journey in 2004. This was after he won the Second Grand Prize at the Montreal International Music Competition. This award helped him become well-known in the classical music world.
After this success, he released his first CD. It was called "Schubert, Liszt" and featured music by these two famous composers. Later, he made video recordings of piano concertos by J.S. Bach. He played these with the Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen orchestra. He also recorded Schubert's Wanderer Fantasy during a music festival.
In 2008, he released another CD. This one was called "Bach / Boulez Piano Recital." It combined music from two very different time periods. David Fray has played with many famous conductors. These include John Axelrod, Kurt Masur, Jaap van Zweden, and Christoph Eschenbach.
David Fray has received several important awards. These include:
- "Révélation Classique" (Classical Discovery) from ADAMI.
- "Jeune Soliste de l'Année" (Young Soloist of the Year) from French radio.
- A special Diploma for Outstanding Merit from the Hamamatsu Competition.
David Fray's Family Life
In July 2007, David Fray married actress Chiara Muti. She is the daughter of the famous conductor Riccardo Muti. David and Chiara have a daughter together.
David Fray's Playing Style
David Fray loves the music of Bach. He also has a playful and unique way of performing. In a documentary, he was seen excitedly moving his eyebrows. He would also lean low over the piano and hum along with the orchestra. He even joked with other musicians. Because of this, some people compared him to another famous pianist, Glenn Gould.
However, David Fray's actual playing style is quite different from Gould's. Fray's music flows smoothly, while Gould's was often very sharp and clear. David Fray has said that he is "not such a fan of Glenn Gould." He finds pianist Wilhelm Kempff to be a very important influence. Fray explained, "What I love about his playing is that he makes the piano sing and speak. That is my ultimate goal.”
Recordings by David Fray
David Fray has released many recordings. Here are some of his albums:
- Schubert: Fantasia in C Major/Lieder Transcriptions/Sonata (2005)
- Bach: Partita in D major; French Suite BWV 812 in B minor / Boulez: Douze Notations pour piano; "Incises" (2007)
- Bach: Keyboard Concertos BWV 1052, 1055, 1056 & 1058 (2008)
- Swing, Sing & Think. David Fray Records J.S. Bach / A film by Bruno Monsaingeon (DVD 2008)
- Schubert: Impromptus Op.90, Moments Musicaux, Allegretto in C minor (2009)
- Mozart: Piano Concertos 22 & 25 (2010)
- David Fray Records Mozart – Piano Concertos Nos.22 & 25 / A film by Bruno Monsaingeon (DVD 2011)
- Bach: Partitas Nos. 2 & 6, Toccata BWV 911 (2013)
- Schubert: Sonata in G D894 ‘Fantasie’, the Hungarian Melody D817, the Fantasia in F minor D940, and the towering Allegro in A minor D947, ‘Lebensstürme’ (‘Storms of Life’), duets with Jacques Rouvier (2015)
- Chopin (2017)
- Bach: Concertos for 2, 3 & 4 pianos (2018)
- Bach: Sonatas / Renaud Capucon, David Fray (2019)
- Bach: Goldberg Variations (2021)
See also
In Spanish: David Fray para niños
