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20 “original” albums
7 compilations
2 discs certified “platinum”
6 discs certified “gold”
5 Félix (“best instrumental album of the year” category)
4 DVDs all certified “platinum”
4 music videos
Over a million albums sold
Highlights
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TV special on the American network PBS
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4 shot in India
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Private concert for Prince Philipp Duke of Edinburgh
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2 cross-Canada tours with the Glenn Miller Orchestra
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Double album recorded with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra (“platinum” disc)
Much more than a pianist!
For Richard Abel, music is a balm for the wounds of the soul. "It's a bit as if I wanted to relieve people through music," he says. This is how he tries to share what he holds dearest with his audience. As instrumental music has no language borders, it is for him the ideal universal language.
On stage, the ease with which he communicates with the audience comes naturally to him. He knows he is lucky to have this spontaneous contact with the public. He knows the difficulty, for an instrumentalist who must turn to his instrument and take his eyes off the crowd, to create this intimacy between the artist and the room. After music, good thrillers and psychological films as well as crosswords are his favorite hobbies.
Magnanimous, he always does it with sincerity.
Despite a marked penchant for sweets, he watches his diet. Richard Abel loves wide open spaces, science and culture in all its forms, family get-togethers and good documentaries. He has only one brother and no sister. He loves to laugh (and make people laugh!) and says he is lucky to have a brother who has a particular and very sharp sense of humor. This is why he admires comedians like Daniel Lemire, Ding and Dong, Pierre Légaré and Michel Barette to name a few.
One of his fondest memories, he says, is meeting Liberace. “I expected to see the artist, the extravagant character. I met a simple, warm man, a person who had a beautiful philosophy of life. Behind the role he played on stage was a generous man and artist, very human and above all very disciplined. Thanks to him, I learned about discipline, perseverance and positivism. He was a great source of motivation for me”.
Richard Abel can't stand arguments, drugs and abuse of power. He does not smoke. He considers that cigarettes kill the people he loves “little by little”. Above all, he hates wasting his time, being a person of efficiency and output. He resents incompetence. He is frank, very sociable and ambitious. Her downsides? He says he is sometimes impatient, takes on too many things at once and finds it hard to say no (which he had to learn to say with his lottery win!). He hates injustice, hypocrisy and pettiness and denounces them with passion. He is always deeply touched by the holiday season. Christmas carols plunge him into melancholy to the point of bringing tears to his eyes. This heightened sensitivity due to a very poor childhood means for him that making people happy at this time of year remains a priority.
Some of his fondest memories
One of his fondest memories: his last meeting with the flamboyant American pianist Liberace. “I expected to see the 'star', the extravagant character. Instead, I met a simple and warm man. Behind the role he played on stage was a generous man and artist, very human and above all very disciplined. Thanks to him, I learned about discipline, perseverance and positivism. This remains a great source of motivation and inspiration for me”.
Another memorable moment: the television special entitled "Elegancia" presented on the American television network PBS. This show, inspired by the violinist André Rieu and in which his violinists wear clothes from the era of Empress Sissi, remains the most successful to date. Twenty-six musicians and twenty-four dancers accompany Richard performing Viennese waltzes and famous film themes.
There are also his four tours in India which marked him a lot. “All my trips abroad and especially those to India have profoundly transformed me and shaken up my values. Since then, they have changed for the better and I am no longer the same person.
A Virtuoso worthy of more than 40 years of career
Today, Richard Abel has a career spanning more than 40 years since his first recording (45 rpm) appeared in 1980. He now has twenty-two albums to his credit, four DVDs, four music videos, two platinum discs, six discs of gold and won five "Félix" awards for the best instrumental album of the year (1992, 1997, 2001, 2005-2008). In 2016, his biography, written in collaboration with a former Radio-Canada journalist, was published. This book will become a best seller the following year. He opens his heart to it in a transparent way, with great simplicity and without taking himself too seriously! It must be recognized however that the talent of the virtuoso remains "seriously spectacular"!
Requested by the greatest
Among the most prestigious concerts he has presented is that offered to Prince Phillip, Duke of Edinburgh. He has also played for the President of Costa Rica, the President of Iceland, the Governor General of Canada as well as for several Prime Ministers. The most famous American "big band" in the world, the Glenn Miller Orchestra, invited Richard Abel twice for a cross-Canada tour. He will also share the stage with internationally renowned artists including, among others, Jose Feliciano, Connie Francis, Brenda Lee and Petula Clark.
Richard Abel has "showbiz" in his skin... and at his fingertips!
His motto: Have fun doing the work and do it healthily.
In addition to Canada and the United States, she has been heard on several stages in Europe, Asia and South America.
“I let my career guide me and I will go where it takes me,” he says.
An artist in his own right, his presence on stage allows him to give free rein to his overflowing imagination by presenting numbers where musical styles and generations merge in perfect harmony.
“I hope to be able to continue as long as possible, because the scene makes me happy,” he adds.
With more than a million albums sold in Canada alone, Richard Abel arouses a real enthusiasm and offers performances that defy all classic conventions. His audience continues to grow and can be heard all over the world on major music listening sites.