I escaped a sect to become a chart-topping pianist

Raised in a secluded spiritual community in rural France, as a child Jean-Philippe Rio-Py was desperately lonely. His only solace was an abandoned piano in the château where they lived, which he played obsessively as a means of escape from his strict and oppressive everyday reality. At 18 years old, he fled the community, drifting lost and depressed from place to place, before a chance encounter with a stranger led him to win a university scholarship to study music in England. He soon found himself performing at glitzy events in London, where he was spotted by Coldplay’s Chris Martin, who offered to buy the self-taught pianist and composer a grand piano. Jean-Philippe used it to write his first album, and today his minimalist compositions, released under his artist name Riopy, have topped global classical charts and been streamed more than a billion times worldwide.

Latvian piano builder, David Klavins, makes giant pianos. They are often so tall that anyone who wishes to play them has to climb a staircase in order to reach the keys. He told Outlook about his innovative creations in June 2019.

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar

Producer: Zoe Gelber

(Photo: Riopy playing his grand piano at home. Credit: Greg Williams)