Rufus Wainwright (vocals, piano, guitar)

Canada’s Rufus Wainwright is a unique figure in 21st century music. The elaborate and sometimes baroque fashioning of his creations has always placed him mid-way between the cult and the popular, between easy and more complicated listening, between the commercial and indie modes. This, added to the ability to combine accomplished performances with talent as a composer makes him a well-rounded and versatile artist with no qualms when it comes to assuming influences of folk, chamber pop, musicals from Broadway’s golden era, the American songbook, classical music and even opera.

The son of folk singers Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, and brother of Martha Wainwright, also a singer, Rufus began playing the piano at the age of 6 years and touring with his family at 13. Surrounded by art and music from birth, a singer, pianist, guitarist and composer, his work reveals strong lyrical influences ranging from opera to French chanson, passing through the music hall and folk. His songs talk about love, falling out of love, drugs and alcohol, about the family… about life. Along the way he has come across influences, artists and legends including Judy Garland, Debbie Harry, Elton John, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young, David Byrne and Sheryl Crow, Burt Bacharach, Miley Cyrus, Boy George, Joni Mitchell, the Pet Shop Boys, Robbie Williams, Billy Joel, Paul Simon, Sting… All this and much more comes together naturally and organically in this genius who will give a solo performance taking a marvellous look back over his whole career at the 59th Jazzaldia.