Yanni

▪ 1995

      For the New Age composer/performer known only as Yanni, 1994 was a very good year. Although from the mid-1980s his nine previous albums had sold some 6 million copies, he became a superstar after March 1994, when Public Broadcasting Service stations repeatedly aired his 90-minute special, "Yanni in Concert: Live at the Acropolis," during national pledge week. The program elicited record-breaking contributions from viewers and became one of the most successful programs ever shown on public television. The television spectacular, which Yanni coproduced, starred the self-taught keyboardist and composer, accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra and his own percussive six-piece band in a triumphant performance in his native land, Greece.

      Three days after its commercial release in the U.S., the album Yanni Live at the Acropolis began to climb Billboard magazine's charts; both album and video later went platinum. Public demand for more of Yanni and his romantic, arpeggio-infused instrumental music brought about brisk sales of his earlier releases; his 64 subsequent concerts throughout the U.S. in 1994 were virtually sold out. Plans were made for a world tour.

      Yanni Chryssomallis was born to a middle-class family in Kalamata, Greece, on Nov. 14, 1954. As an adolescent, he was a member of the Greek national swimming team, breaking the national freestyle record at age 14. Yanni went to the U.S. at age 18 to attend the University of Minnesota, from which he graduated in 1976 with a B.A. in psychology. A founding member of the rock band Chameleon, he launched his solo recording career in 1980 with the instrumental album Optimystique. Reflections of Passion (1990) sold 1.8 million copies; both Dare to Dream (1992) and In My Time (1993) were nominated for Grammy awards. Although unable to read music or to notate it, Yanni composed music for films and television. A naturalized U.S. citizen, he lived in California, where he recorded for his Private Music label.

      In performance, Yanni exuded sincerity and almost diffident charm. From time to time, he tossed his mane of shoulder-length black hair and smiled almost shyly, displaying dazzling white teeth beneath an upper lip adorned with a bristling black mustache. Lean and tanned, Yanni had a straightforward, calm glance and a self-contained expression. He usually wore either all white or all black, sometimes favouring a romantic-looking shirt with billowy sleeves. Occasionally while performing, either seated at an acoustic piano or standing at one of several synthesizers, he would close his eyes and shake his head slightly, as if basking in the musical energy and love being exchanged between him and his audience. When Yanni spoke briefly to his audience in fluent, lightly-accented English, he shared his thoughts on creativity and his belief in the oneness of all people. (NAOMI BERNARDS POLONSKY)

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