Foreign Music recommendations: Contemporary foreign pianists

Okay: Truth time. It was just a coincidence that most of my favorite contemporary piano artists happened to also be from foreign countries. But its been a while since I've done a post on foreign music posts. You might possibly know some of the pianists and discover that they're in fact from all over the globe!

My music taste is very differentiating. Sometimes I'm damaging my hearing turning up the bass, rocking out to some B.A.P. Other times I'm blasting Motzart in my car with the windows down and my shades on. Nooo. I don't do that. Maybe. 

Anyways, lately I've been listening to a lot more piano music and I want to share them with you all!

Caution though: Listening to such soul wrenching songs may make you want to curl up on the bed with a jar of Nutella, go through a scrapbook and sigh at pictures sappily, write terrible haikus, or force your loved ones to watch Old Yeller and/or The Notebook with you. You have been warned.

First! We start with le french!

Andre Gagnon

(Origin: Quebec)

! Another accomplished Quebecois artist!


I just recently started listening to his music. Most of the time it incorporates come strings or synths to go along with it. The pace is usually a little slower, and to me, I has kind of a Disney feel too it. Very dreamy and blending a delicate orchestra sound.

This is my favorite song Apres La Pluie!

                                                        Oh! So beautiful and touching!

And now for possibly the most popular...

                                                                          Yiruma!

(Orgin: South Korea)

His music is very well known among comtenporary piano music lovers. He has a great range and
technique that shows diversity among his songs that really can touch your emotions, giving the feelings of noglostia. I'm choosing to show you one of his least popular songs but my personal favorites.

Uugughhh. Its just so heartbreaking. I love the melody of this one. Its so familiar, yet I can't place it. It reminds me of fall. But of course, I'll link you to his most popular song here, The River Flows In You, well known for almost being in Twilight (Whew, close call there)

David Nevue

(Orgin: Oregon (say that twelve times fast))

I don't know very much about David Nevue, but I love his style. The songs of his I've listened to are very light and melodic. My favorite song so far being Dreamers Waltz. It just sounds so Romantic, airy and epic. It reminds me of Skyrim a little bit.....is that bad?

I really want to learn this on the piano now after listening to it again.

**Edit Whoops! Turns out he's from Oregon! Well....I love his song to much to take it off. Oregon is foreign in Indonesia....so...that's my logic!

Fiona Joy Hawkins

(Orgin: Wales)

While Fiona Joy Hawkins uses some synths and a couple synths in some of her songs (Which personally I don't care for, but you guys might have no beefs about it) I like the full, rich sounds to her music, and the range that she uses. So much that sometimes I don't notice that chanting guy in the background! I just know a couple songs by her but I only like this one, Song Phonique.

                                                 

                                                Bandari

(Orgin: China)

My friend who is an exchange student from ChongQing, China first introduced me to Bandari. Its soooo relaxing. I imagine that this type of music would go well with massages. I love the natural accents of streams and birds that he uses. His music is understated and just lovely! I have to remember to thank her again for showing me! This is my favorite song: First Rose in spring.

While my love for piano music only comes around once in a while, I think I will always enjoy the accents of it in pop songs. I hope I introduced you guys to some new composers that you might enjoy!

I don't remember

The number of syllables

A haiku must have

I am too lazy 

To google it, so I guessed

And wrote two haikus

I couldn't resist.

What's the worst haiku that you can write? Write one in the comment section beloooow!