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Girma Yifrashewa

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Ethiopian classical pianist (born 1967)
Girma Yifrashewa
Born1967 (age 57–58)
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Years active2001–present
LabelsUnseen Worlds
Websitegirmayifrashewa.com
Musical artist

Girma Yifrashewa (born 1967) is an Ethiopian classical pianist and composer. He is director of the Ashenafi Kebede Performing Arts Centre of the Addis Ababa University.

Early life and education

Yifrashewa was born in Addis Ababa in 1967. In his childhood he played the krar, a traditional harp from Ethiopia. At the age of sixteen Yifrashewa entered the Yared School of Music, where he began to learn piano. In 1986 Yifrashewa began studying at the Bulgarian State Conservatory. He lost his scholarship in 1989 when the Bulgarian Communist Party lost power following the revolutions of 1989. Yifrashewa spent two years in Italy and returned to the Conservatory in 1991 to finish his studies, funded by the Irish Christian Brothers.

Career

Yifrashewa gave his first public concert at the Italian institute in Addis Ababa in 2001. His debut album The Shepherd with the Flute was released in 2001, followed by Meleya Keleme (2003) with Michael Belayneh, and Elilta (2006). Yifrashewa's fourth album Love & Peace was released by US record label Unseen Worlds in 2014, and comprises five solo piano pieces, including an homage to a melody written by Ashenafi Kebede, as well as traditional Ethiopian hymns and wedding songs. Reviews of Love & Peace compared Yifrashewa's playing to pianists Scott Joplin and George Winston. The album reached number 23 on the Billboard classical albums chart.

In January 2020 Yifrashewa gave the first ever grand piano concert in Ethiopia, at the Ethiopian Skylight Hotel. He has performed concerts across the world, including at Carnegie Hall and the Issue Project Room in New York.

Discography

Albums

  • The Shepherd with the Flute (2001)
  • Meleya Keleme (2003), with Michael Belayneh
  • Elilta (2006)
  • Love & Peace (Unseen Worlds, 2014)
  • My Strong Will (Unseen Worlds, 2023)

References

  1. ^ Saeed Kamali Dehghan (2024-10-08), "Musical journey: lessons begin after piano finally arrives in Ethiopia", The Guardian, retrieved 2024-11-17
  2. ^ "Girma Yifrashewa biography", girmayifrashewa.com, retrieved 2024-11-17
  3. ^ Steve Smith (2013-06-09), "From Chopin to Ethiopia, and Partway Back Again", New York Times, retrieved 2024-11-14
  4. Tesfalem Waldyes (2016-11-23), "Girma Yifrashewa: A classical pianist giant meets his match", Addis Standard, retrieved 2024-11-14
  5. ^ Samson Berhane (2023-08-26), "Ethiopia's Piano Man Finds His Stage", The Reporter, retrieved 2024-11-14
  6. ^ "Bridging cultures through music", The Reporter, 2020-02-01, retrieved 2024-11-17
  7. ^ Clive Bell, "Love & Peace (review)", The Wire, no. 367 (September 2014), p. 60
  8. John Mulvey, "Love & Peace (review)", Uncut, no. 208 (September 2014), p. 79
  9. "Classical Albums – Week of August 16, 2014", Billboard, retrieved 2024-11-17
  10. Michael J. West (2015-05-04), "Girma Yifrashewa's blend of European piano and Ethiopian music", The Washington Post, ISSN 0190-8286, retrieved 2024-11-14

External links

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