Jean-Michel Blais (CA)
From Nicolet
Popularity
Jean-Michel Blais has one upcoming show in the Netherlands: on October 27, 2026 at TivoliVredenburg, Utrecht.
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About
Jean Michel Blais makes the kind of solo piano music that feels like it was recorded in the room next to you, which is almost literally true. His debut album Il was captured in two days in his Montreal apartment using a Zoom recorder, ambient noise and all, and ended up ranking in Time magazine's top ten albums of 2016. The music draws on a wide range of influences, from Chopin and Rachmaninoff to minimalists like Philip Glass and Erik Satie, and even Ellie Goulding has name dropped him as an inspiration. His follow up, Dans ma main, pushed things further by weaving in synth and electronic textures, a direction sparked by his collaboration with electronic artist CFCF on the EP Cascades. That record, which includes a stunning cover of John Cage's In a Landscape, earned serious praise from Pitchfork and others. Dans ma main went on to become a Polaris Music Prize finalist in 2018, cementing Blais as one of the more quietly thrilling composers working in contemporary piano music.
