Jean-Michel Blais

Jean-Michel Blais

Canadian pianist/composer Jean-Michel Blais studied at the Conservatoire de Musique de Trois-Rivières. A classical education that soon stifled him. Jean-Michel sought refuge in improvisation and left the conservatory to travel. It was not until years later that he resumed his musical career. Two years of improvising at the piano led to his neoclassical debut album II , which he recorded himself in his apartment. In 2018, he launched the album Dans ma main . An album inspired by the ambient and new age music that his parents played for Jean-Michel, who suffers from Tourette's Syndrome. In February 2022, his album Aubades appeared on Mercury KX, which also releases albums by Ólafur Arnalds, Federico Albanese, and Jonny Greenwood, among others. Eleven works, each dealing with rebirth and the expectations of a new day. An album about the timeless power of music. Jean-Michel Blais says: 'Music has this ability to create a time and space and a place where people are able to heal themselves.'

viewpoint

On mirador , set to be released in September 2026, Jean-Michel Blais embarks on a new path. The album takes the listener on an adventurous journey: past choral sounds, strings, and music from the Andes, from caves in Spain to forests in Estonia. And ultimately back to his native soil in Quebec. His three previous albums could be described as minimalist. Serene. On mirador , Blais opts for a richer sound for the first time, consistently using composition and instrumentation as means to reveal something of himself. In this way, his music reflects his experiences as a queer musician, traveler, student, and caregiver, often inspired by memories from his youth. mirador is an invitation to listen again, to give free rein to the imagination, and to look ahead with a fresh perspective.