BIOGRAPHY
One of the most dynamic and recognised composer-pianists of the 21st century, Jean-Philippe RIOPY, has fused minimalism, wellbeing music, jazz, and cinematic idioms into his distinctive crossover piano style. Over RIOPY’s unique career, he has commanded loyal audiences and commercial success across the world: most notably with over 1 billion streams, a #1 Billboard chart album and a RIAA-certified gold track.
Jean-Philippe RIOPY had a difficult upbringing, during which the piano was his lifeline. An entirely self-taught composer and player, he left France, his home country, at 18 years old to explore his potential abroad. RIOPY had one goal: to make a living from his music. After a decade of travel and fateful encounters – such as with Chris Martin who recognised his unparalleled talent and gifted him a piano – RIOPY settled in London.
After a period of recognition via composing in the realm of television and film, his evocative solo piano pieces provided the backdrop to popular movie trailers. Despite this growing success in his life and career, he still faced the struggle of chronic depression. This vulnerability surfaced within the music showcased in his initial two albums, RIOPY and TREE OF LIGHT. As his career flourished, calmness prevailed, marking his third and fourth albums, BLISS and THRIVE, as a period focused on tranquility and advocating for well-being through communal experiences.
After signing with Warner Classics in 2018, RIOPY released his eponymous debut album, followed by the runaway global success “Tree of Light” in 2019. After a critically acclaimed debut for his first album, 2019’s album “Tree Of Light” took RIOPY to a new level of success: the track “Ukiyo” was certified gold in the US, with over 500,000 copies sold. In January 2022, the album reached a new peak: #1 in the Classical and New Age charts for 3 consecutive weeks, and went on to dominate the US Billboard Classical Charts for over 147 consecutive weeks.
His third and fourth albums, “BLISS” (2021) and “THRIVE” (2023), signify a phase dedicated to serenity and promoting well-being through shared experiences. THRIVE evokes the inner strength that guides us to fulfill our goals, the willpower that leads to positive evolution. For this album, the pianist found this collective strength in notes and themes of great composers from classical music history and in integrating strings into his compositions for the first time. Following the release of this album, 2023 began with a steady position in the top 10 of the Billboard Classical Charts for 130 weeks and a feature on Lana Del Rey’s GRAMMY-nominated album “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd”. In the end of 2023, RIOPY released his first EP, “On A Starry Christmas Night”. Composed especially for Christmas festivities, those compositions give further voluptuousness to our best Christmas classic songs.
In 2024, RIOPY ventures into the realm of neuroscience-backed meditation tools, blending them with his distinct piano compositions crafted to foster wellbeing. Echoing his previous releases, Meditation 111 and Meditation 22, this journey led to the release of his album ‘Meditation 333’, which introduces drones and further harmonies into the mix with his piano. Not long after, the release of ‘Meditation 432’ followed, combining piano and nature sounds. Initially an Amazon exclusive before being expanded to all streaming platforms, this album was recorded on a piano tuned to 432 Hertz, a frequency believed to decrease heart rate more than standard 440 Hz tuned music and foster focus.
Accumulating more than 1 billiom streams worldwide, the pianist encountered growing success with an expanding global audience. This success led RIOPY to embark on a tour in January 2022, while being ranked #1 on the Billboard Classical Charts for three consecutive weeks. His career then took on a new dimension: his French tour quickly expanded across Europe. Within ten months, RIOPY played for sold-out audiences in iconic venues across Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, Amsterdam, Montreux Jazz Festival, London Jazz Festival, and a twelve-city tour across the UK. RIOPY’s tour finished in 2022 across the Atlantic, playing to rapt audiences notably in Montreal and San Francisco, culminating in sold-out concerts in New York and Los Angeles. This success led to another tour in 2023, with sold-out concerts all over Europe, as well as in the United States, expanding to more cities including Alexandria, Boston, and Chicago.
2024 saw the release of a new album focused on mental wellness, Meditation 333, alongside an expanded version of the previous album, Meditation 432. More recently, RIOPY launched TUNE YOUR MIND [by RIOPY], a project centred on music specifically designed with binaural beats to help achieve deeper, more sustained meditative states.
TUNE YOUR MIND [by RIOPY] debuted with the release of Meditation 66, an album featuring 21 themed tracks to guide listeners through meditation, complemented by two longer tracks for an extended experience. All tracks were crafted using binaural beats to enhance mindfulness and relaxation. The project offers two versions of the album: a guided edition, exclusively available on Amazon Music, where RIOPY’s voice leads listeners through meditation aligned with each track’s theme; and an unguided version available on all streaming platforms, allowing listeners to follow their own meditative journey.
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