Polyphony Music, Midlothian, VA
Rene is one of the most popular creators of music for romance, with his four previous CDs purchased by many thousands of fans worldwide since 1995.
A recent transplant from the Chicago area, Rene was taken with music as a child when, as he explains,“I first heard Herb Alpert ’s classic instrumental tune, ‘The Lonely Bull.’ One of the most successful instrumental performers in pop history, he was also founder of his own label, the very successful A&M. He is still a favorite artist and I have a deep admiration for his accomplishments.”
Another early influence was “my Grandfather,” Rene shares,“ who sang, played guitar, violin and saxophone. He was self-taught on all three instruments. Of 26 grandchildren, I was the only grandchild who expressed an interest in music. At five, my parents bought me a theater organ and I started lessons that lasted through high school. In college, I switched to piano; studying with Harry Davidson at both the American Conservatory and Sherwood Conservatory in Chicago, he had the greatest influence on my playing.” Now Rene is proficient at piano, organ and digital keyboards as well as hand drums and orchestral percussion instruments.
He put his skills to good use in successful regional rock bands like White Gold, Kingdom, Wizard and Raven before establishing himself as a solo artist performing in high profile venues such as former Chicago Bulls basketball player Dennis Rodman’s club, or the Elmhurst Art Museum. In 1995, Rene established Polyphony Music and released UPON THE THRESHOLD; FOR IT IS WRITTEN (1998), POET OF THE HEART (2000)and PIANO KEEPSAKES (2003)followed. Rene has also contributed music to many video sound-tracks including Meditation with Victoria (2001), Yoga/Stretching with Victoria (2002), and Art in the Park-Elmhurst, Illinois (2003).
:: Soulmates
This CD is a treasury of popular classical and Broadway melodies enhanced by Rene’s own elegant original compositions. Blending piano, cello and light orchestrations for an unmatched mood of warmth and relaxation, this is all-instrumental music that never grows old with repeated play.
Selections by Chopin, Satie, Debussy, Andrew Lloyd Weber and John Barry evoke a special place and time in the imagination, but Rene’s original pieces fit seamlessly alongside. Accompanied by cellist Matt Agnew, Rene’s arrangements are both clever and smooth; just listen to how he melds “Clair de Lune ” into “The Music of the Night,” or “Somewhere in Time” with his own ”Love for All Seasons” and “Share the Moment.” But perhaps the most stirring of such medleys is Rene’s brief evocation of “Amazing Grace” that leads into what is arguably one of his most brilliant tunes, “Anam Cara (Soulmates);” this track demonstrates Rene’s consummate ability to transform the familiar into the remarkable, and then both heighten and deepen the listening experience simultaneously through his own creative vision.
“My inspiration and the process can vary,” Rene admits. “The arrangement usually develops around the theme or the melody. However, on rare occasions, I have woken out of a dream state with a melody, a phrase or a brief idea in my head which has developed into a song. Once the framework of the song is created, I experiment with textures, orchestration and counter-melodies. The primary objective for my writing is that I have to be moved emotionally in order to touch and move my listeners - as a novel, the ability for music to tell a story is the intrigue and enchantment that I strive for in my compositions.”
SOULMATES, then, is a timeless tale of love and romance as told by a consummate storyteller.
