Yann Tiersen

Yann Tiersen began his classical-music training at just four years old. He learned to play the violin at music academies throughout France until the age of 13, when he decided he wanted to start a rock band. The band, however, split up after only a couple of years. Not to be deterred, Tiersen--inspired by groups like Nirvana and The Stooges--began mixing his own music, combining the sounds of electronic effects with classical-music instruments. In the late 1990s, he started creating music for short films and even some features, including "Alice et Martin," "La Vie R'vée des Anges," and "Qui Plume la Lune?" Tiersen's biggest break in the world of film came in 2001 when several of his original tracks were used in Jean-Pierre Jeunet's award-winning romantic comedy "Amelie." In the wake of his success, Tiersen was hired to score several more big-picture productions, like 2004's "Good Bye Lenin!" and 2007's "In Your Wake." Tiersen also regularly releases albums of experimental music, including his 2010 album "Dust Lane," which often incorporate unexpected objects--such as typewriters--as instruments. He also travels the world performing live and playing with various orchestras.