Mark Christopher Paul Ehrenfried (German: [ˈeːʀənfʁiːt]; born 24 June 1991)[1] is a German pianist and composer. He has published five albums and performed concerts worldwide. In Germany, he is especially known for his childhood TV appearances, his collaborations with pop-music producer Jack White, and his performances with the East-German rock band The Puhdys. In recent years, Ehrenfried has performed the piano music of Norwegian Romantic composer Christian Sinding. Ehrenfried also holds speeches about Christianity, music, values and culture. He describes himself as a Christian conservative.
Mark Ehrenfried | |
|---|---|
| Born | Mark Christopher Paul Ehrenfried 24 June 1991 Berlin, Germany |
| Nationality | German |
| Alma mater | Regent's University London |
| Occupation(s) | Pianist, composer |
| Years active | 1999 - present |
| Website | Official Website |
Early life
editMark Ehrenfried was born 24 June 1991 in Berlin. He grew up as an only child in a single-parent household.[1] He attempted to play a piano when he was three years old and took up piano lessons by the age of 4.[2]
Career
editIn July 1999, Ehrenfried performed his first full-length piano-solo concert at The Meistersaal Berlin. After this, he appeared on multiple TV shows and released his first album with Hänssler Classic. In 2001, Ehrenfried held a speech, honoring the social work of the singer Peter Maffay, and presented him with the German MDR / RBB annual TV award.
Former footballer and music producer Jack White introduced Mark Ehrenfried to popular music and music composition. They decided to work together, producing pop-classical crossover music. In 2002, Ehrenfried published his first pop music album with Sony BMG and appeared on Swiss television, performing the opening of Tchaikovsky's first piano concerto in front of the Victoria Waterfalls in Harare, Zimbabwe. He performed twice alongside José Carreras on TV, raising money for the international José Carreras Leukaemia Foundation
Ehrenfried continued producing pop and rock music for several years, most notably with The Puhdys, with whom he went on tour and co-produced several songs.
Ehrenfried was artistic and cultural partner for Ratiopharm under the World-in-Balance initiative, where he worked with actor and philanthropist Karlheinz Böhm and explorer Arved Fuchs. He also held inspirational speeches in schools and universities, combining concert performances with lectures and lessons.
From 2010 to 2013, he led solo piano concerts in Berlin, such as the Berliner Philharmonie[3][4] Konzerthaus and Gendarmenmarkt.[5]
From 2016 onwards, Ehrenfried raised awareness about Norwegian classical composers' Christian Sinding's piano solo music, which is the subject of Ehrenfried's 2017 album "Mark Ehrenfried plays Christian Sinding".
Ehrenfried identifies Christianity as the root of western culture, music and art. He works closely together with several Christian organizations, and is often invited to discussions.
Education
editMark Ehrenfried was home-schooled, but has also intermittently attended an international secondary school in Berlin. He holds the International Baccalaureate Diploma.
Ehrenfried graduated from Regent's University London in 2016, with a Bachelor of Arts in Global Business with Japanese.
He also holds a Licentiate in Piano Performance from the Royal Schools of Music.
Private life
editMark Ehrenfried is married and lives in London, United Kingdom.
Discography
edit- 2001: Meine Lieblingsstücke
- 2002: Gestatten
- 2002: Mark Ehrenfried Plays Bach, Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven Et Al
- Live im Kammermusiksaal der Berliner Philharmonie (2-piece album)
- 2017: Mark Ehrenfried Plays Christian Sinding[6]
- 2018: Somewhere (Live)
- 2020: Tomorrow (Instrumental)
Filmography
edit- 2002: Danke, Anke (TV series)
- 2003: Zauberhafte Heimat (TV series)
- 2006: Die Mozartshow
References
edit- ^ a b "Jung Pianisten". hn44.de. Archived from the original on 31 January 2013. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
- ^ "Ehrenfried, Mark". infobitte.de. Archived from the original on 12 April 2013. Retrieved 6 February 2014.
- ^ "Gastveranstaltung. Mark Ehrenfried. Klavier". Berliner-Philharmoniker.de. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
- ^ "Klavierabend: Mark Ehrenfried. Klassisches Konzert, 04.06.2011". LustaufKultur.de. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
- ^ "Mark Ehrenfried: Tasten-Feuerwerk. Klassisches Konzert, 25.03.2012". LustaufKultur.de. Retrieved 6 March 2013.
- ^ Archived at Ghostarchive and the Wayback Machine: Mark Ehrenfried plays Christian Sinding Piano Sonata op 91, 1. YouTube.
External links
edit- "Official webpage of Mark Ehrenfried". markehrenfried.de. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
- "Mark Ehrenfried". klassikmusik.info. Retrieved 14 February 2013.
- Mark Ehrenfried at IMDb