Richard Clayderman
Richard Clayderman (ʁiʃaʁ kledɛʁman; born Philippe Pagès filip paʒɛs, 28 December 1953 in Paris) is a French pianist who has released numerous albums including the compositions of Paul de Senneville, Olivier Toussaint and Marc Minier, instrumental renditions of popular music, rearrangements of movie soundtracks, ethnic music, and easy-listening arrangements of popular works of classical music.
Also recorded as Philippe Pagès
Richard Clayderman

Mahalkita · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Richard Clayderman
- Birth Name
- Philippe Pagès
- Born
- 28 December 1953
- Occupation
- Pianist
- Full name
- Philippe Robert Luc Pagès.
- Nationality
- France.
- Fields
- easy listening.
- Known for
- Ballade pour Adeline.
- Languages
- French.
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
Richard Clayderman (ʁiʃaʁ kledɛʁman; born Philippe Pagès filip paʒɛs, 28 December 1953 in Paris) is a French pianist who has released numerous albums including the compositions of Paul de Senneville, Olivier Toussaint and Marc Minier, instrumental renditions of popular music, rearrangements of movie soundtracks, ethnic music, and easy-listening arrangements of popular works of classical music.
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- Identity
- resolved
- Independent source families
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Authority files
gnd · 1254968105 · wikidata · Q240802 · wikipedia · Richard Clayderman
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Richard Clayderman • Birth Name — Philippe Pagès • Born — 28 December 1953 • Origin — Paris, France • Instrument — Piano • Genre — Easy listening Romantic • Occupation — Pianist • Years Active — 1976–present • Label — Delphine Records • Website — https: richardclaydermanofficial.com/
Early life
Early life
Clayderman learned piano from his father, an accordion teacher. At the age of twelve, he was accepted into the Conservatoire de Paris, where he won great acclaim in his later adolescent years. Financial difficulties, precipitated by his father's illness, forestalled a promising career as a classical pianist. In order to earn a living, he found work as a bank clerk and as an accompanist to contemporary bands. He accompanied French singers such as Johnny Hallyday, Thierry Le Luron, and Michel Sardou.
"Ballade pour Adeline"
"Ballade pour Adeline"
In 1976, he was invited by Olivier Toussaint, a French record producer, and his partner Paul de Senneville, to record a gentle piano ballad. De Senneville had composed this ballad as a tribute to his baby daughter, Adeline. The 23-year-old Pagès was auditioned along with 20 other pianists and got the job. "He was an interesting musician with a soft touch and good technique", said Toussaint. "And he looked good, too." His producers felt that his name would be difficult to pronounce in Spanish, German, etc. so they picked Clayderman on finding it was a great-grandmother's last name and invented the name Richard as they didn't like Philippe Clayderman. The single took off, selling 22 million copies in 38 countries. It was called "Ballade pour Adeline". This work was one of the most popular pieces in China, especially during the initial years of China's opening to the West, when it was ubiquitous and played in almost every hotel lobby in China, and it continues to be popular in China today.
Success
Success
Clayderman has recorded over 1,300 melodies and has created a new romantic style through a repertoire which combines his trademark originals with classics and pop standards. As of 2006, his record sales number at approximately 70 million, and has 267 gold and 70 platinum albums to his credit. He is popular in Asia and is noted by the Guinness Book of World Records as being "the most successful pianist in the world".
Studio albums, 1977–2022
Studio albums, 1977–2022
• Richard Clayderman (aka Ballade pour Adeline, 1977) • A Comme Amour/Les Fleurs Sauvages (1978) • Rêveries (1979) • Lettre à Ma Mère (1979) • Medley Concerto (1979) • Les Musiques de l’Amour (1980) • Rondo Pour un Tout Petit Enfant (1981) • Christmas (1982) • Rêveries No. 2 (1982) • Couleur Tendresse (1982) • Les Rêves d'Amour (aka A Dream of Love, 1983) • Le Premier Chagrin d’Elsa (1983) • Italie Mon Amour (1984) • The Music of Love (1984) • Cœur fragile (1984) • Concerto (with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, 1985) • Divorce à Hollywood/Irreconcilable Differences (soundtrack, 1985) • From Paris with Love (1985) • Les Sonates (with Nicolas de Angelis, 1985) • Hollywood and Broadway (1986) • Romantic (1986) • Eléana (1987) • Songs of Love (1987) • A Little Night Music (1988) • Deutsche Volkslieder (with the Schöneberger Sängerknaben, 1988) • Quel Gran Genio Del Mio Amico – Richard Clayderman Interpreta Lucio Battisti (1988) • Romantic America (1988) • Zodiacal Symphony (1988) • The Love Songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber (1989) • Amour Pour Amour (with Berdien Stenberg, 1989) • Il Y A Toujours du Soleil Au-Dessus des Nuages (with James Last, 1990) • My Classic Collection (1990) • The Fantastic Movie Story of Ennio Morricone (1990) • Anemos (1990) • Plays ABBA (1993) • The Confluence (2003) • Romantique (2013) • Forever Love (2022)
Live albums
Live albums
• En Concert (1981) • A Pleyel (with Nicolas de Angelis, 1983) • Brasil Tour ’86 (Brazil, 1986) • Concert under the stars (Japan 1983)
Identity
Identity
Richard Clayderman is recorded with the occupation music arranger. Classed in the genre easy listening. Recorded as pianist, composer, music arranger and musician.

Marc Minier et Richard Clayderman au Studio de Meudon (Mai 2012) pour une Séance Piano. Un Steinway de Concert accordé par Bastien Herbin (tout simplement magistral), Julien Bassères à la prise de son (rien que ça), et assisté par Xavier Franc (très prometteur).
Mahalkita

Richard Clayderman, Marc Minier et Julien Basseres en Pause Café avant la Séance Piano. Un Steinway de Concert accordé par Bastien Herbin (tout simplement magistral), Julien Bassères à la prise de son (rien que ça), et assisté par Xavier Franc (très prometteur).
Mahalkita
Life and career
Dated record
Life and career
The full dated record · 2 entries
1953
Richard Clayderman born at 20th arrondissement of Paris.
1997
Richard Clayderman - Love Songs (1997) is digitised and catalogued by Internet Archive.
Primary material
Documents and archives
authority file
- Gemeinsame Normdatei 1254968105, Forever love (Zusammenstellung, Richard Clayderman).
Unverified · Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
authority record
- Wikidata, structured authority record Q240802: Richard Clayderman
Unverified · Wikidata
reference work
- “Richard Clayderman”, English Wikipedia, consulted as further reading
Reputable secondary · Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.Richard Clayderman. Clayderman.co.uk.
- 2.Larkin, Colin. The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. MUZE UK. 2. 1115. 0-333-74134-X.
- 3.Colin Larkin. The Guinness Encyclopedia of Popular Music. Guinness Publishing. 500. 1992. 0-85112-939-0.
- 4.Olivier Toussaint Interview. 16 March 2010.
- 5.Interview with Richard Clayderman. Complete France. 7 May 2013.
- 6.Biography. 25 July 2010.
- 7.Clayderman still in tune with his audience. chinadaily.com.cn. 1 January 2020.
References
Citations
References
Each reference names the institution holding it, so a reader may go to the document itself.
authority file
Gemeinsame Normdatei 1254968105, Forever love (Zusammenstellung, Richard Clayderman).Deutsche Nationalbibliothek
Partially resolvedauthority record
Partially resolvedreference work
Partially resolved
Further particulars
Held on the record
Further particulars
Open the remaining particulars
Richard Clayderman was recorded at birth as Philippe Robert Luc Pagès. He also worked under the name Richard Clayderman. The authorities additionally record the heading Philippe Pagès. His recorded language was French.
Identity and origins
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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