Yanni
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[[WP:UNDO|Undid]] revision 225554271 by [[Special:Contributions/Nihil novi|Nihil novi]] ([[User talk:Nihil novi|talk]])
{{otheruses3|Yannis (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
| Name = Yanni
| Img =
| Img_capt =
| Img_size =
| Landscape =
| Background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| Birth_name = Yiannis Hrysomallis (or Chrysomallis)
| Born = {{Birth date and age|1954|11|14|mf=y}}
| Died =
| Origin = [[Kalamata, Greece]]
| Instrument = [[Piano]]<br/>[[Keyboard instrument|Keyboard]]
| Voice_type =
| Genre = [[Instrumental music|Contemporary instrumental]], [[New Age]]
| Occupation = [[Composer]]<br/>[[Pianist]]
| Years_active = c. 1980–present
| Label = [[Private Music]]/[[Windham Hill Records|Windham Hill]] <br />[[Virgin Records]] <br />[[Image Entertainment]]
| Associated_acts =
| URL = [http://www.yanni.com www.yanni.com]
| Current_members =
| Past_members =
| Notable_instruments =
}}
'''Yanni''' (born ''Yiannis Hrysomallis'' ({{lang-gr|Γιάννης Χρυσομάλλης}}, classical transcription ''Giannis Chrysomallis'')), on [[November 14]], [[1954]] in [[Kalamata]], [[Greece]]) is a self-taught [[pianist]], [[keyboardist]], and [[composer]]. Yanni left his homeland at the age of 18 to attend the [[University of Minnesota]]. After receiving a [[B.A.]] in [[psychology]], he would instead seek a life in music though he had no formal training and could not read a note. After playing keyboards in local rock bands such as [[Chameleon (American band)|Chameleon]], he moved to [[Los Angeles, California|California]] in pursuit of movie soundtrack work. In 1987, he put together a small band which included long-time bandmate [[Charlie Adams (drummer)|Charlie Adams]], and [[John Tesh]], and began touring to promote his earliest instrumental albums, ''[[Keys to Imagination]]'', ''[[Out of Silence]]'', and ''[[Chameleon Days]]''. He later earned Grammy nominations for his 1992 album, ''[[Dare to Dream (Yanni album)|Dare to Dream]]'', and the 1993 follow-up, ''[[In My Time]]''. His breakthrough success came with the release of ''[[Yanni Live at the Acropolis]]'', a concert filmed on September 25, 1993 at the [[Herod Atticus Theater]] in [[Athens, Greece]], deemed to be the second best-selling music video of all time.<ref name="Official biography">{{cite web |url= http://www.yanni.com/presskit/yannicareerhighlights.pdf|title= Yanni Career Highlights|publisher=yanni.com|accessdate=2006-12-21 |format= PDF}}</ref> A composition from this release, "Acroyali/Standing in Motion" has been found to have the "[[Mozart Effect]]".<ref name="Mozarteffect">{{cite web |url= http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/mozart.html
|title= The Mozart Effect|publisher=epilepsy.org|accessdate=2007-08-07 |format=}}</ref> Yanni has since performed live in concert before in excess of two million people in more than 20 countries around the world. His [[North America]]n concert tours in 1995, 1998 and 2003-5 each finished in the Top 10 concert tours of the year. He has accumulated more than 35 platinum and gold albums globally, with sales totaling over 20 million copies.<ref name="Official biography"/> Considered to be one of the top fundraisers of all time for public television, he has appeared on several major [[PBS]] Pledge TV Specials such as ''A Decade Of Excellence'', including segments from ''[[Yanni Live at the Acropolis|Live At The Acropolis]]'', ''[[Tribute (Yanni album)|Tribute]]'', and ''[[Yanni Live at Royal Albert Hall|Live At Royal Albert Hall]]'', London. Yanni's compositions have been included in all Olympic Games television broadcasts since 1988,<ref name="Official biography"/> and his music has been used extensively in television and televised sporting events. In 1997, he became one of the few performers allowed to perform at the [[Taj Mahal]], [[India]]. His most recent live concert film, ''[[Yanni Live! The Concert Event]]'', was released in 2006.
On May 06, 2004, the [[regent]]s of the University of Minnesota conferred upon Yanni the honorary degree of [[Doctor of Humane Letters]].
== Biography ==
===Early life===
Yanni is a self-taught [[pianist]] who began his musical career by giving recitals for family members. Early in his life, he was also a competitive swimmer in [[Greece]] and set a national record in the 50-meter freestyle competition.<ref name="Yanni in Words"/> He later attended the [[University of Minnesota]] and earned a [[B.A.]] in [[psychology]]. After graduation, Yanni chose to attempt a career in music, although he could not read music and had no formal training. Using his own form of musical shorthand, he began writing original works.
===Chameleon Days===
While a student at the [[University of Minnesota]], Yanni joined an up-and-coming local group called [[Chameleon (American band)|Chameleon]] where he met drummer [[Charlie Adams (drummer)|Charlie Adams]].<ref name="Yanni in Words">{{cite book|last = Yanni
| coauthors = Rensin, David|title = Yanni in Words|publisher = [[Miramax Books]]|date = 2002|pages = |id =ISBN 1-4013-5194-8
| accessdate =2007-04-03}}</ref> Chameleon earned some modest commercial success touring throughout the Midwest, particularly in the states of [[Minnesota]], [[Iowa]], [[Wisconsin]], [[Illinois]] and [[South Dakota]].
===1980s===
Eventually, Yanni grew tired of the [[rock and roll]] lifestyle and focused solely on his instrumental career as a soloist. He moved to [[Los Angeles]] and eventually formed a small band including [[Charlie Adams (drummer)|Charlie Adams]] and [[John Tesh]]. His music is frequently described as "[[New Age music|new age]]", though he prefers the term "contemporary instrumental".<ref name="Yanni in Words"/>
===1990s===
''[[Dare to Dream (Yanni album)|Dare to Dream]]'' was released in [[1992]]. It was Yanni’s first [[Grammy]]-nominated album and featured "Aria", a song based on [[The Flower Duet]] and popularized by an award-winning [[British Airways]] commercial. A second [[Grammy]]-nominated album, ''[[In My Time]]'', was released in [[1993]]. His music has been used extensively in television and televised sporting events, including the [[Super Bowl]], [[Wide World of Sports (U.S. TV series)|Wide World of Sports]], [[U.S. Open (tennis)|U.S. Open]], [[Tour de France]], [[World Figure Skating Championships]], [[The Olympics]], and [[ABC News]].<ref name="Charlie Adams Official bio">{{cite web|url=http://www.charlieadams.org/about.html|title=Charlie Adams Official bio|publisher=charlieadams.org|accessdate=2007-08-17}}</ref>
====''Live at the Acropolis''====
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{{multi-listen item|filename=Standing in Motion.ogg|title=''Acroyali/Standing in Motion''|description=This composition from the album ''[[Yanni Live at the Acropolis]]'' was determined to have the "[[Mozart Effect]]", by the ''[[Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine]]'' because it was similar to [[Sonata for Two Pianos in D major (Mozart)|Mozart's
K 448]] in tempo, structure, melodic and harmonic consonance and predictability.<ref name="Mozarteffect"/><ref name="Yanni in Words67"/>
|format=[[Ogg]]}}
{{multi-listen end}}
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Yanni's breakthrough commercial success came with the release of his album and video, ''[[Yanni Live at the Acropolis]]'', which was filmed on September 23, 1993 at the 2,000-year-old [[Herod Atticus Theater]] in [[Athens, Greece]],<ref name="AlbumNotesLATA">{{cite album-notes |title= Yanni Live at the Acropolis|bandname=Yanni |year=1994|format= CD liner|publisher= [[Private Music]]|publisherid=}}</ref> and released in [[1994]]. This was Yanni’s first live album and utilized a full orchestra under the supervision of conductor [[Shardad Rohani]], in addition to his core band. Subsequently, the concert was broadcast in the US on [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] and quickly became one of their most popular programs ever, having been seen in 65 countries by half a billion people.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.windham.com/artists/artist.jsp?id=111433#bio |title= Windham Hill |accessdate=2007-01-01 |format= |work= }}</ref> It has almost continuously remained on the charts since its release and is the second best-selling music video of all time, selling more than 7 million copies worldwide.<ref name="Official biography"/> A composition from this album, "Acroyali/Standing in Motion", was determined to have the "[[Mozart Effect]]," by the ''[[Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine]]'' because it is similar to [[Sonata for Two Pianos in D major (Mozart)|Mozart's
K 448]] in tempo, structure, melodic and harmonic consonance and predictability.<ref name="Mozarteffect">{{cite web |url= http://www.epilepsy.org.uk/info/mozart.html
|title= The Mozart Effect|publisher=epilepsy.org|accessdate=2007-08-07 |format=}}</ref><ref name="Yanni in Words67">{{cite book|last = Yanni
| coauthors = Rensin, David|title = Yanni in Words|publisher = [[Miramax Books]]|date = 2002|pages = 67|id =ISBN 1-4013-5194-8
| accessdate =2007-04-03}}</ref>
====''Tribute''====
In March of 1997, Yanni became one of the few Western artists permitted to perform and record at the [[Taj Mahal]] in [[India]]. Later that year he performed at the [[Forbidden City]] in [[China]]. From these two events he created his next live album and video, ''[[Tribute (Yanni album)|Tribute]]'', which was released in 1997. [[Armen Anassian]], Conductor, concedes that he had some doubts about the artist's plans to perform at India's Taj Mahal and China's Forbidden City for ''Tribute''. "To be honest, a few years ago when he was talking about it, the idea was so amazing. I myself was very skeptical, understandably so. But the truth is, it happened. We did it.<ref name="ArmenInterview">{{cite web |url=http://www.serve.com/gregl7/armen.htm |title=Interview with Armen Anassian from the ''[[Toledo Blade]]''|publisher=serve.com |accessdate=2007-11-14 |author= |last= |first= |date=1998-02-01 ||format= |work= }}</ref> Anassian describes Yanni as "very optimistic" and has observed that "nothing really fazes him."<ref name="ArmenInterview"/> That outlook carries over naturally to his music. "I don't think it's a goal, per se. He's very honest with his own feelings. His music really comes from the heart. He writes music with ease, the music comes out with relative ease. The feel-good portion of the music is a by-product. It coincides with what the people love to hear.<ref name="ArmenInterview"/>
===2000s===
In 2000, after a two-year sabbatical, Yanni released his first studio album in seven years: ''[[If I Could Tell You]]''.
Yanni also toured in 2003–2004 with the debut of the ''[[Ethnicity (Yanni album)|Ethnicity]]'' album extending his "One World, One People" philosophy. This album sparked what would become the 4th largest concert tour of the year ranked by [[Billboard Magazine]].
On May 06, 2004, the [[regent]]s of the University of Minnesota conferred upon Yanni the honorary degree of [[Doctor of Humane Letters]].
He kicked off his 2004–2005 "Yanni Live!" tour at [[Mandalay Bay]] in [[Las Vegas, Nevada|Las Vegas]], [[Nevada]], and his next live album and video, ''[[Yanni Live! The Concert Event]]'' was released in 2006.
On March 6, 2006, Florida police say that Yanni was arrested after a fight with his girlfriend, Silvia Barthes, who locked herself in a bathroom and called the police. Yanni faced a domestic battery charge.
In a statement, Yanni said, "These allegations are cruel, false, without merit and baseless," said the statement released by his manager, Danny O'Donovan. "At a more appropriate time and place, I hope and pray I will have an opportunity to address my fans and colleagues all over the world." <ref name="YanniArrest">{{cite web |url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/03/07/entertainment/main1375992.shtml |title=Yanni Arrested In Florida}}</ref>
On March 31, 2006, Fox News announced that the Palm Beach Post reported that the domestic abuse charges against Yanni were dropped. Prosecutors in Palm Beach County declined to comment on why the charges against the 51-year-old pianist were withdrawn, the Post reported. <ref name="YanniChargesDropped">{{cite web |url=http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,190083,00.html |title=Domestic Abuse Charges Against Yanni Dropped}}</ref>
As of October 2007, it has been announced that Yanni and producer [[Ric Wake]] are working together in the studio producing new music and collaborating with prodigy singer/songwriters to put them in the most creative environment possible to reach their full potential.
[[Image:Yannibook.jpg|right|thumb|]]
==Autobiography==
Yanni's autobiography, ''Yanni in Words'', co-authored by David Rensin, was released in February 2003. It is a memoir which includes information about his early childhood in [[Greece]], his college years in [[Minnesota]], his success as an international music artist with his exploration into the creative process by which he composes, and his nine-year relationship with actress [[Linda Evans]]. The book coincided with the release his 13th album ''[[Ethnicity (Yanni album)|Ethnicity]]'' and was soon declared a ''[[New York Times Bestseller]]''.
===Further reading===
*[http://www1.umn.edu/umnnews/Feature_Stories/Yanni_honored_at_UMAA_annual_event.html University of Minnesota News: ''Yanni honored at UMAA annual event'']
*[http://www.alumni.umn.edu/vertical/Sites/%7BD6C96D80-F3A7-11D4-85D9-005004AD2AC8%7D/uploads/YanniSpeech.pdf Speech by Yanni Chryssomallis, May 06, 2004, University of Minnesota Alumni Association]
==Discography==
===Studio albums===
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{{multi-listen start|Audio sample of:}}
{{multi-listen item|filename=Yanni Santorini.ogg|title="Santorini"|description=from the album ''[[Yanni Live at the Acropolis]]''|format=[[Ogg]]}}
{{multi-listen item|filename=Yanni In the Morning Light.ogg|title="In the Morning Light"|description=from the album ''[[In My Time]]''|format=[[Ogg]]}}
{{multi-listen item|filename=Yanni Tribute.ogg|title="Tribute"|description=from the album ''[[Tribute (Yanni album)|Tribute]]''|format=[[Ogg]]}}
{{multi-listen item|filename=Yanni The End of August.ogg|title="The End of August"|description=from the album ''[[In My Time]]''|format=[[Ogg]]}}
{{multi-listen item|filename=Yanni Nostalgia.ogg|title="Nostalgia"|description=from the album ''[[Yanni Live at the Acropolis]]''|format=[[Ogg]]}}
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<!-- This section for original studio albums only -->
*1980 ''[[Optimystique]]'' (re-released in 1984)
*1986 ''[[Keys to Imagination]]''
*1987 ''[[Out of Silence]]''
*1988 ''[[Chameleon Days]]''
*1989 ''[[Niki Nana]]''
*1990 ''[[Reflections of Passion]]''
*1991 ''[[In Celebration of Life]]''
*1992 ''[[Dare to Dream (Yanni album)|Dare to Dream]]''
*1993 ''[[In My Time]]''
*2000 ''[[If I Could Tell You]]''
*2003 ''[[Ethnicity (Yanni album)|Ethnicity]]''
===Live albums/videography===
*1994 ''[[Yanni Live at the Acropolis]]''
*1995 ''[[Yanni Live at Royal Albert Hall]]''
*1996 ''[[Yanni One on One]]''
*1997 ''[[Tribute (Yanni album)|Tribute]]''
*2006 ''[[Yanni Live! The Concert Event]]''
===Soundtracks===
*1988 ''[[Steal the Sky (soundtrack)|Steal the Sky]]''
*1988 ''[[Heart of Midnight]]''
*1989 ''[[I Love You Perfect]]''
*1990 ''[[She'll Take Romance]]''
*1990 ''[[When You Remember Me]]''
*1990 ''[[Children of the Bride]]''
*1994 ''[[Hua qi Shao Lin]]''
===Compilations===
*1992 ''[[Romantic Moments]]'', BMG
*1997 ''[[Devotion (The Best of Yanni)]]'', Private Music
*1997 ''[[In The Mirror]]'', Private Music
*1999 ''[[The Private Years]]'', Private Music
*1999 ''[[Love Songs]]'', RCA Victor
===Other credits===
*1988 ''[[A Thousand Summers]]'' <br />(A [[John Tesh]] recording in which Yanni was credited as a performer.}
*1997 ''[[Pure Moods]]''
*1999 ''John Tesh and Friends''
==Concert tours==
<!-- Note: There are no separate articles for these concert tours, hence, the wikilinks are to the corresponding album/year with tour information included. -->
*1987: ''[[Out of Silence]]''
*1988: ''[[Chameleon Days]]''
*1990: ''[[Reflections of Passion]]''
*1991: ''[[In Celebration of Life|Revolution in Sound]]''
*1992: ''[[Dare to Dream (Yanni album)|Dare to Dream]]''
*1993: ''[[In My Time|Yanni Live, The Symphony Concerts 1993]]''
*1994: ''[[Yanni Live at the Acropolis|Yanni Live, The Symphony Concerts 1994]]''
*1995: ''[[Yanni Live at Royal Albert Hall|Yanni Live, The Symphony Concerts 1995]]''
*1997: ''[[Tribute (Yanni album)|Tribute]]''
*2003–4: ''[[Ethnicity (Yanni album)|Ethnicity]]''
*2004–5: ''[[Yanni Live! The Concert Event|Yanni Live!]]''
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
*[http://www.yanni.com/ Official Website]
*[http://www.myspace.com/yanniofficial Official MySpace page]
*[http://www.verastv.com/yanni.htm Yanni] at Veras Communications
*{{allmusicguide | id = 11:5xkbikz6bb39| label = Yanni}}
*{{discogs artist|artist=Yanni+(2)}}
*{{MusicBrainz artist|id=9a2afb1e-504c-443e-acff-6c40ce75b1a1}}
*{{imdb name|id=0946183|name=Yanni}}
{{Yanni}} <!-- template -->
[[Category:1954 births]]
[[Category:Composers for piano]]
[[Category:Greek composers]]
[[Category:Greek pianists]]
[[Category:Greek keyboardists]]
[[Category:Greek swimmers]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States]]
[[Category:New Age musicians]]
[[Category:New Age pianists]]
[[Category:People from Peloponnese]]
[[Category:Pop pianists]]
[[Category:University of Minnesota alumni]]
[[Category:Mononymous persons]]
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[[zh-yue:雅尼]]
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