Widely regarded as the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin was a singer-songwriter, actress, and civil rights activist. Recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, Aretha was ranked number one on Rolling Stone magazine's 100 Greatest Singers of All Time list in 2010. Having sold over 75 million records, she is also one of the best-selling musicians ever.
Diana Krall is a Canadian jazz singer and pianist. With several gold and multi-platinum albums under her belt, Krall is regarded as one of the best-selling artists of her generation. In 2009, Billboard called her the second-greatest jazz artist of the 2000–09 decade. In 2004, she was inducted into Canada's Walk of Fame.
Norah Jones is an American singer, pianist, and songwriter. Having sold over 50 million records worldwide, Jones is one of the most successful and best-selling singers of her generation. She was ranked 60th on the artists of the 2000s decade list published by Billboard magazine. Norah Jones has won several prestigious awards including multiple Grammy Awards and Billboard Music Awards.
Khatia Buniatishvili is a Georgian-French pianist. Buniatishvili has been playing since the age of three and gave her first concert when she was just six years old. She then went on to play at an international stage at the age of 10. Buniatishvili is known for her association with Sony Classical, which has produced many of her solo piano albums.
KT Tunstall is a Scottish musician and singer-songwriter. She came into prominence in 2004, when she performed Black Horse and the Cherry Tree in a music TV show called Later... with Jools Holland. KT Tunstall is the recipient of several prestigious awards, including the European Border Breakers Award, Ivor Novello Award, Scottish Style Award, and Brit Award.
Myleene Klass is a British singer, musician, TV presenter, model, and businesswoman. Klass achieved popularity when she became part of the pop group Hear'Say. Her popularity increased when she started hosting television shows like Popstar to Operastar and BBQ Champ. Myleene Klass is also known for her charity work; she has been the face of charity campaigns like ChildLine.
Emily Haines is a Canadian singer and songwriter who is the lead singer, songwriter, and keyboardist of the rock band Metric. She is a member of the indie rock band Broken Social Scene as well and also performs solo. She is the daughter of the poet Paul Haines and was encouraged to pursue her musical passion from childhood.
Bat for Lashes is a British multi-instrumentalist, singer, and songwriter. She is best known for releasing albums like Fur and Gold, The Haunted Man, and Lost Girls. Bat for Lashes is the recipient of an ASCAP Award, Ivor Novello Awards, and UK Asian Music Award.
Best known as Princess Diana’s maternal grandmother, Ruth Roche, Baroness Fermoy was also a talented concert pianist. She was also a close associate of Elizabeth The Queen Mother. Her contribution to music included the launch of the King's Lynn Festival, which was patronized by The Queen Mother.
British keyboardist Ayalah Deborah Bentovim, better known as Sister Bliss, is one of Britain’s most successful electronica musicians. Starting her career as a pioneering British DJ, she later established the band Faithless. She has also composed for films such as The Beach and Sex and the City 2.
Gabrielle Aplin is a British singer and songwriter. After achieving popularity as a YouTuber, Aplin signed a deal with Parlophone in 2012. Subsequently, Gabrielle Aplin released her debut album English Rain, which debuted at the second position on the UK Album Chart. The album has since sold more than 100,000 copies and has been certified Gold in the UK.
Hélène Mercier-Arnault is a pianist and chamber musician. She has performed at various famous avenues, including the ‘Théâtre des Champs-Elysées’ and the ‘Théâtre du Châtelet’ in Paris. She often collaborates with artists, such as Cyprien Katsaris, Vladimir Spivakov, and Zubin Mehta. She is married to businessman Bernard Arnault, who is one of the richest men in the world.
Cœur de pirate is the stage name of Béatrice Martin, a Canadian singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a francophone and sings mostly in French. She began to study music as a child and started her professional career while still in her teens. She has since released several albums, including her super hit eponymous album that was certified platinum.
German-Japanese classical pianist Alice Sara Ott began learning the piano at age 5. At 13, she was the youngest finalist of the Hamamatsu International Piano Academy Competition ever. She has also designed bags and app stickers. In 2019, she announced on Instagram that she had been suffering from multiple sclerosis.