Jean-Michel Blais - L'Alhambra 2023

Montreal pianist Jean-Michel Blais combines the melodic pop sensibilities of Yann Tiersen and Chilly Gonzales with the stunning technical mastery of minimalist composers like Philip Glass and Erik Satie.

His debut album "Il", written after two years of daily improvisation, was named one of Time Magazine's Top 10 albums. The album garnered more than 50 million listens, reached number one on the Billboard classic chart (Canada) 14 times, and made the long list for the Polaris Prize. 

In 2017, he performed at the Red Bull Music Academy in collaboration with Grammy-nominated electronic producer CFCF. Initiating a partnership between them, this concert gave birth to Cascades, a collaborative EP receiving rave reviews from the BBC (Radio 6) and Pitchfork, for which piano and electronics synchronize to exhilarating effect. 

In 2019, he released Matthias & Maxime, the soundtrack to the eponymous film directed by Xavier Dolan. Critically acclaimed, Blais received a gold disc of honor from the Cannes Soundtrack Festival.

In 2023, Jean-Michel Blais released sérénades, an album played entirely on the piano in which the melodies convey a sense of calm and sweetness.