Yann Tiersen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Yann Tiersen
Tiersen in 2007
Background information
Birth name	Yann Pierre Tiersen
Born	(1970-06-23) 23 June 1970 (age 55) Brest, Brittany, France
Genres	Minimal rock avant-garde rock post-rock folk rock bal-musette
Occupation(s)	Musician songwriter
Instruments	Piano violin piano accordion electric guitar toy piano vocals
Years active	1995–present
Labels	Sine Terra Firma Ici, d'ailleurs... EMI Virgin Mute ANTI-
Associated acts	Claire Pichet, Dominique A, Françoiz Breut, Natacha Régnier, Shannon Wright, Christine Ott

Yann Tiersen (born on June 23, 1970) is a talented musician and composer from Brittany, France. He creates music for his own albums, works with other artists, and writes music for movies. Yann uses many different instruments in his music. These include the electric guitar, piano, and violin. He also uses unique instruments like the melodica, xylophone, toy piano, and even a typewriter!

Many people think Yann Tiersen mainly writes movie music. However, he focuses more on touring and making his own studio albums. Sometimes, parts of his albums are chosen for film soundtracks. For example, songs from his first three albums were used in the famous French movie Amélie in 2001.

Yann Tiersen's Journey in Music

Starting Out: 1970–1992

Yann Tiersen was born in 1970 in Brest, a city in Brittany, France. He started playing the piano at age four and the violin at age six. He had classical music lessons at different schools. In his teenage years, in the early 1980s, he became interested in punk subculture music. Bands like The Stooges and Joy Division inspired him.

When he was 13, he stopped playing the violin and bought an electric guitar. He then started a rock band. Yann lived in Rennes, a city known for its music festival, Rencontres Trans Musicales. This festival gave him the chance to see many famous bands. Later, when his band broke up, Yann began recording music by himself. He used a simple mixing desk, an 8-track recorder, a synthesiser, a sampler, and a drum machine.

First Albums and French Fame: 1993–2000

Before writing music specifically for films, Yann Tiersen created background music for plays and short movies. In the summer of 1993, he recorded over 40 songs in his apartment. He used an electric guitar, a violin, and a piano accordion. These songs later appeared on his first two albums.

Yann's first album, La Valse des monstres (meaning The Waltz of the Monsters), came out in 1995. It was inspired by a 1932 film called Freaks and a Japanese play. In 1996, he released his second album, Rue des cascades. This album featured short songs played on a toy piano, harpsichord, violin, and mandolin. The main song, sung by Claire Pichet, was used in the French film The Dreamlife of Angels. Later, several songs from this album were also used in the movie Amélie. Yann often plays most instruments himself, both in the studio and during live shows. He became known for his "one-man show" performances.

Yann became famous in France with his third album, Le Phare (The Lighthouse), released in 1998. He recorded this album alone on the island of Ushant, off the coast of France. He spent two months there, watching the powerful Phare du Creach lighthouse every night. Le Phare featured other artists like Claire Pichet and Dominique A. It sold over 160,000 copies, making Yann a well-known artist. Three songs from this album were later used in the Amélie soundtrack. The song "Monochrome," sung by Dominique A, was a big hit on the radio.

During this time, Yann also worked with other bands. He played instruments for the French rock band Noir Désir on their 1998 album. He also created music for several films, including The Dreamlife of Angels and Alice et Martin. In 1999, Yann released Tout est calme, a mini-album made with The Married Monk and Claire Pichet. He also released his first live album, Black Session: Yann Tiersen, which featured many guest musicians.

Amélie and Global Fame: 2001–2009

Yann Tiersen became famous worldwide after creating the music for the movie Amélie in 2001. The film's director, Jean-Pierre Jeunet, loved Yann's music. Yann composed 19 new songs for the film in just two weeks. He also allowed the filmmakers to use any songs they liked from his older albums. Amélie was a huge success, winning many awards. The soundtrack album became number one in France and charted in many other countries. Yann won awards for Best Music for a Film.

While working on Amélie, Yann also made his fifth studio album, L'Absente, released in 2001. This album included many musicians, including a 35-member orchestra. Yann also played instruments on other artists' albums. He was married to Belgian actress Natacha Régnier at this time. She became a singer, and Yann wrote songs for her. They toured together in France and other countries. They had a daughter, Lise, in 2002, but later divorced.

From 2002, Yann began performing his music around the world. He played with a full orchestra and a string quartet. His second live album, C'était ici (It Was Here), was recorded during three concerts in Paris in 2002.

Yann's talent for film music was in high demand. After Amélie, he composed the music for the German film Good Bye, Lenin! in 2003. This film was also very successful and won many awards. Yann received an award for Outstanding Music for this film. In 2003, he also helped release a CD to raise money for the International Federation for Human Rights.

Yann Tiersen (left) and Christophe Miossec (right) performing live in Brest, France, in 2005.

Yann continued to work with many different artists. In 2004, he released Yann Tiersen & Shannon Wright, an album with American singer-songwriter Shannon Wright. In 2005, he released his fifth studio album, Les Retrouvailles (The Reunion). This album featured singers like Elizabeth Fraser, Jane Birkin, and Stuart A. Staples. It also came with a short film showing how the album was made on Ushant island. Yann's world tour in 2006 led to his third live album, On Tour, which also included a DVD about the tour.

After a break from movie music, Yann created the soundtrack for Tabarly in 2008. This was a documentary about a famous French sailor named Éric Tabarly. Yann also contributed to albums by other musicians before 2010.

New Sounds: 2010–Present

In October 2010, Yann Tiersen released his sixth studio album, Dust Lane. He spent two years making this album, mostly at his home on Ushant island. The album explores themes of life and loss. Yann started with simple songs and then added many layers of sound. He used old synthesisers and electric guitars to create rich textures. The album was released by Mute Records.

His seventh studio album, Skyline, came out in Europe in October 2011. This album was also recorded at his home on Ushant, with parts recorded in other cities. It was mixed in Leeds and mastered in London. In 2012, Yann also presented a side project called Elektronische Staubband. This project focused on krautrock, electronic, and experimental music using many synthesisers.

On August 3, 2016, it was announced that Yann Tiersen married Emilie Quinquis in Ushant. They had a son on April 6, 2017.

Yann Tiersen's Music Style

How He Creates Music

Yann Tiersen's music is shaped by his classical training and his love for punk rock. His style is unique and hard to put into one box. It changes from album to album. His music often sounds thoughtful and emotional. It blends classical and folk music with pop and rock elements. Some people compare his delicate style to famous classical composers like Frédéric Chopin and Erik Satie. He is also compared to modern composers like Philip Glass and Michael Nyman.

Yann started playing piano and violin when he was very young. At 13, he switched to electric guitar. Years later, he returned to string instruments. For his albums, Yann writes and arranges music using many instruments. These include pianos, organs, harpsichords, and synthesisers. He also uses violins, cellos, guitars, mandolins, and banjos. He plays brass and woodwind instruments like horns, saxophones, and flutes. For percussion, he uses drums, vibraphones, and tubular bells. Sometimes, he even uses sounds from a typewriter, cooking pots, or a bicycle wheel! Yann plays all these instruments himself in the studio and during live shows.

Music for Movies

Yann Tiersen's music has always been good for films. His first album, La Valse des monstres, was made for plays. Songs from his first two albums, plus three from Le Phare, were used in the famous movie Amélie. Another song from Le Phare was used for a short animated film. His music also appeared in films like Alice et Martin.

After Amélie became a big hit, many filmmakers wanted Yann to compose for them. He then created the music for Good Bye, Lenin!. While the Amélie soundtrack mostly used older songs, the Good Bye, Lenin! music was created specifically for the film. Yann returned to film music in 2008 for the documentary about sailor Éric Tabarly.

Working with Other Artists

Yann Tiersen often creates his music alone, starting with simple tunes and adding layers. His first album was almost entirely played by him. But as his career grew, he started working with more artists.

In 1997, he worked with the French rock band Noir Désir. In 1998, he released a song with Dominique A. His 1999 mini-album Tout est calme was a collaboration with The Married Monk and Claire Pichet. His first live album, Black Session: Yann Tiersen, featured many musicians like The Divine Comedy's Neil Hannon and Françoiz Breut. The Amélie soundtrack was the first time he used a full orchestra and an ondes Martenot (an electronic instrument). These musicians also appeared on his next album, L'Absente.

Yann's list of collaborators kept growing. His second live album, C'était ici, featured over 50 musicians. In 2004, he released Yann Tiersen & Shannon Wright with American singer Shannon Wright. His 2005 album, Les Retrouvailles, included singers like Stuart Staples, Jane Birkin, and Elizabeth Fraser. His world tour after this album led to his third live album, On Tour, which had a more rock sound.

Yann has contributed to many other records, including songs by The Divine Comedy, Françoiz Breut, and Sage Francis. In 2011, he started a new electronic music project called Elektronische Staubband with Lionel Laquerriere and Thomas Poli.

Helping Others: Charity Work

In 2011, Yann Tiersen worked with the Yellow Bird Project (YBP). He designed a t-shirt to raise money for Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), also known as Doctors Without Borders. He chose MSF because of their important work helping refugees in Libya at that time. A live video was filmed at the MSF London office to promote the t-shirt and raise awareness.

Music Albums

Studio Albums

Soundtracks

Live Albums

Singles and EPs

Charting

Other Singles and EPs

• Rue des cascades (1996)
• "La vie rêvée des anges" (1998)
• "Les grandes marées" (1999)
• "Comptine d'un autre été : L'après-midi" (2001)
• "À quai" (2001)
• "Bagatelle" (2001)
• 3 titres inédits au profit de la FIDH (2003) - for charity
• "Kala" (2005)
• "La mancha" (2006)
• "La rade" (2006)
• Palestine (2010)
• "Ashes" (2010)
• "Monuments" (2011)
• "I'm Gonna Live Anyhow" (2011)

Collaborations

Contributions to Other Albums

• One Trip/One Noise (by Noir Désir) (1998)
• "Gin Soaked Boy" (by The Divine Comedy) (1999)
• Vingt à Trente Mille Jours (by Françoiz Breut) (2000)
• Gratte-poil (by Têtes Raides) (2000)
• R/O/C/K/Y (by The Married Monk) (2001)
• Les oiseaux de passage (tribute to Georges Brassens) (2001)
• Absent Friends (by The Divine Comedy) (2004)
• The Belgian Kick (by The Married Monk) (2004)
• Lucky Dog Recordings 03-04 (by Stuart A. Staples) (2005)
• The Endless Rise of the Sun (by Smooth) (2006)
• Raides à la ville (by Katel) (2006)
• 13m² (by David Delabrosse) (2006)
• Solitude Nomade (by Christine Ott) (2009)
• Finistériens (by Miossec) (2009)
• Li(f)e (by Sage Francis) (2010)
• Soyons désinvoltes, n'ayons l'air de rien (by Noir Désir) (2011)

DVDs

See also

In Spanish: Yann Tiersen para niños