James Edward Rhodes (born 6 March 1975) is a British-Spanish

concert A concert is a live music performance in front of an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, choir, or band. Concerts are held in a wide variety a ...

pianist A pianist ( , ) is an individual musician who plays the piano. Since most forms of Western music can make use of the piano, pianists have a wide repertoire and a wide variety of styles to choose from, among them traditional classical music, ja ...

and writer, and an activist for the protection of minors against sexual abuse in Spain.

Early life

James Edward Rhodes was born into a middle class

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...

ish family in

St John's Wood St John's Wood is a district in the City of Westminster, London, lying 2.5 miles (4 km) northwest of Charing Cross. Traditionally the northern part of the ancient parish and Metropolitan Borough of Marylebone, it extends east to west from ...

North London North London is the northern part of London, England, north of the River Thames. It extends from Clerkenwell and Finsbury, on the edge of the City of London financial district, to Greater London's boundary with Hertfordshire. The term ''nort ...

. He was educated at

Arnold House School Arnold House School is a preparatory school for boys in the St John's Wood district of Westminster, Greater London. It consists of a Junior School (Years 1-4) and Senior School (Years 5-8). History Arnold House School was founded in 1905 by Miss ...

, a local all-boys

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * " In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorde ...

preparatory school. There, he experienced

sexual abuse Sexual abuse or sex abuse, also referred to as molestation, is abusive sexual behavior by one person upon another. It is often perpetrated using force or by taking advantage of another. Molestation often refers to an instance of sexual assa ...

by his PE teacher, who died before he could appear in court. Rhodes suffered mentally as well as physically, including spinal damage, eating disorders and

PTSD Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental and behavioral disorder that can develop because of exposure to a traumatic event, such as sexual assault, warfare, traffic collisions, child abuse, domestic violence, or other threats on a ...

. Aged 7, he found a cassette tape of

Bach Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...

Busoni Ferruccio Busoni (1 April 1866 – 27 July 1924) was an Italian composer, pianist, conductor, editor, writer, and teacher. His international career and reputation led him to work closely with many of the leading musicians, artists and literary f ...

Chaccone in his father's music collection. "Above all, it made him feel like even if it seemed as if the world really was a hostile and appalling place, it couldn’t be that bad because something this beautiful existed in it." He was taught piano, but did not progress formally beyond Grade 3. First moving to a local boarding school, he was educated at

Harrow School (The Faithful Dispensation of the Gifts of God) , established = (Royal Charter) , closed = , type = Public schoolIndependent schoolBoarding school , religion = Church of E ...

, where he worked with piano teacher Colin Stone, from the age of 13 onwards. It was during this period that he entered the

BBC Young Musician of the Year BBC Young Musician is a televised national music competition broadcast biennially on BBC Television and BBC Radio 3. Originally BBC Young Musician of the Year, its name was changed in 2010. The competition, a former member of the European Uni ...

competition, but failed to make it past the second round. In 1993, he was offered a scholarship to the

Guildhall School of Music and Drama The Guildhall School of Music and Drama is a conservatoire and drama school located in the City of London, United Kingdom. Established in 1880, the school offers undergraduate and postgraduate training in all aspects of classical music and jazz ...

.Rhodes, James.
James Rhodes: how Beethoven became my drug
. ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'', 22 May 2009.

Career

A fan of the

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

pianist

Grigory Sokolov Grigory Lipmanovich Sokolov (russian: Григо́рий Ли́пманович Соколо́в; born April 18, 1950) is a Russian pianist naturalized Spain, Spanish. He is among the most esteemed of living pianists, his repertoire spanning compo ...

, Rhodes wrote to Sokolov's agent Franco Panozzo in Italy, with the idea that Rhodes would become a music agent himself. Panozzo responded, and after Rhodes sent him a bottle of

Champagne Krug Krug Champagne is a Champagne house founded by Joseph Krug in 1843. It is based principally in Reims, the main city in France's Champagne region and is one of the famous Champagne houses that formed part of the Grandes marques. Today the house ...

, the pair arranged to meet in Italy. After hearing Rhodes play, Panozzo arranged for Rhodes to have a brief tutorage under the renowned piano teacher Edoardo Strabbioli in Verona, Italy. However, after a period Rhodes was

institutionalised In sociology, institutionalisation (or institutionalization) is the process of embedding some conception (for example a belief, norm, social role, particular value or mode of behavior) within an organization, social system, or society as a who ...

. In March 2010, Rhodes became the first core classical pianist to be signed with the world's largest rock label

Warner Bros. Records Warner Records Inc. (formerly Warner Bros. Records Inc.) is an American record label. A subsidiary of the Warner Music Group, it is headquartered in Los Angeles, California. It was founded on March 19, 1958, as the recorded music division of the ...

.Smith, Charlotte.
James Rhodes signs to Warner Bros Records
. '' Gramophone'', 25 March 2010. In 2011, Rhodes became a regular culture blogger for ''

The Telegraph ''The Telegraph'', ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Sunday Telegraph'' and other variant names are popular names for newspapers. Newspapers with these titles include: Australia * ''The Telegraph'' (Adelaide), a newspaper in Adelaide, South Australia, publ ...

'', and had popular articles in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

'' Music Blog in 2013. Returning to his original label Signum Classics, Rhodes released his 4th album ''JIMMY: James Rhodes recorded live at The Old Market Brighton'' in May 2012.Gill, Andy
Album: James Rhodes, Jimmy: Live in Brighton (Signum Classics)

The Independent ''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...

. 19 May 2012. He has since released three more albums. In 2015 Rhodes's autobiography, ''Instrumental: A Memoir of Madness, Medication and Music'', was blocked from publication by a temporary court injunction prompted by his former wife. She said that publishing the book, which includes details of sexual abuse as a child, would psychologically harm their child. In May 2015, the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

decided in ''

Rhodes v OPO was a 2015 judgment by the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom that overturned an injunction preventing the publication of a memoir entitled ''Instrumental'' by concert pianist James Rhodes. Facts James Rhodes' memoir is an account of the phys ...

'' that the book qualifies for free speech protection and lifted the interim injunction. He has published three more books since then: ''How to Play the Piano'' in 2016 and ''Fire on all Sides'' in January 2018. Followed by 'James Rhodes' Playlist: The Rebels and Revolutionaries of Sound', in October 2019.

Concerts

Rhodes's first public recital was at

Steinway Hall Steinway Hall (German: ) is the name of buildings housing concert halls, showrooms and sales departments for Steinway & Sons pianos. The first Steinway Hall was opened in 1866 in New York City. Today, Steinway Halls and are located in cities such ...

in London, on 7 November 2008. His second recital was at the Hinde Street Methodist Centre, London, on 4 December 2008. He performed his first full scale concert at the

Queen Elizabeth Hall The Queen Elizabeth Hall (QEH) is a music venue on the South Bank in London, England, that hosts classical, jazz, and avant-garde music, talks and dance performances. It was opened in 1967, with a concert conducted by Benjamin Britten. The ...

Southbank Centre Southbank Centre is a complex of artistic venues in London, England, on the South Bank of the River Thames (between Hungerford Bridge and Waterloo Bridge). It comprises three main performance venues (the Royal Festival Hall including the Nat ...

, in London on 6 February 2009.Church, Michael.
James Rhodes, Queen Elizabeth Hall, London
. ''

'', 9 February 2009. In May 2009, Rhodes performed a solo concert at

The Roundhouse The Roundhouse is a performing arts and concert venue situated at the Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England. The building was erected in 1846–1847 by the London & North Western Railway as a roundhouse, ...

in Camden, the first classical musician to give a solo recital since the reopening.Brown, Geoff.
James Rhodes at Roundhouse, NW1
. ''

'', 15 May 2009. Rhodes has also played Proud Galleries in Camden;

100 Club The 100 Club is a music venue located at 100 Oxford Street, London, England, where it has been hosting live music since 24 October 1942. It was originally called the Feldman Swing Club, but changed its name when the father of the current owner ...

in Soho;

Tabernacle, Notting Hill The Tabernacle is a Grade II-listed building in Powis Square, Notting Hill, west London, England, built in 1887 as a church. The building boasts a curved Romanesque façade of red brick and terracotta, and towers with broach spires on either s ...

and the nominations launch for the

Classical BRIT Awards The Classic BRIT Awards (previously Classical BRIT Awards) are an annual awards ceremony held in the United Kingdom covering aspects of European classical music, classical and Classical crossover, crossover music, and are the equivalent of popu ...

2009 WITH NS&I.Classical BRIT Awards Launch 2009
. classicfm.co.uk, 20 April 2009. In March 2010, Rhodes performed at the Holders Season 2010 in

Barbados Barbados is an island country in the Lesser Antilles of the West Indies, in the Caribbean region of the Americas, and the most easterly of the Caribbean Islands. It occupies an area of and has a population of about 287,000 (2019 estimate). ...

.A Classical Evening
. '' The Daily Nation (Barbados)'', 21 March 2010. In Summer 2010 he was the first solo classical pianist to play the Latitude Festival sharing stages with acts such as

Florence + the Machine Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilancio demografico an ...

and The National. In September 2011 he performed alongside

Stephen Fry Stephen John Fry (born 24 August 1957) is an English actor, broadcaster, comedian, director and writer. He first came to prominence in the 1980s as one half of the comic double act Fry and Laurie, alongside Hugh Laurie, with the two starring ...

in ''A Classical Affair'' at the

Barbican Centre The Barbican Centre is a performing arts centre in the Barbican Estate of the City of London and the largest of its kind in Europe. The centre hosts classical and contemporary music concerts, theatre performances, film screenings and art exhi ...

. In October 2011 James performed an 11-date tour in Australia including three performances at the

Melbourne Festival Melbourne International Arts Festival, formerly Spoleto Festival Melbourne – Festival of the Three Worlds, then Melbourne International Festival of the Arts, becoming commonly known as Melbourne Festival, was a major international arts festi ...

. Rhodes had his US debut in September 2012 at the International Beethoven Festival in Chicago. In 2013, James performed in Hong Kong, Vienna, the Barber Institute in Birmingham, the Royal Albert Hall, the Cheltenham Music Festival, the Waterfront stage at Latitude Festival and a series of concerts at

Soho Theatre The Soho Theatre is a theatre and registered charity in the Soho district of the City of Westminster, in London, England. It produces and presents new works of theatre, together with comedy and cabaret, across three performance spaces. The the ...

in London. A live in-concert DVD, ''Love in London'', was recorded at the

Arts Theatre The Arts Theatre is a theatre in Great Newport Street, in Westminster, Central London. History It opened on 20 April 1927 as a members-only club for the performance of unlicensed plays, thus avoiding theatre censorship by the Lord Chamberl ...

in London's West End in 2014. That year he also performed at Hay Festival,

Harrogate International Festivals Harrogate International Festivals (HIF) is a registered charity and one of the UK's longest running arts festivals, having been established in 1966. Based in Harrogate, North Yorkshire. Festivals include the Harrogate Music Festival, Theakston Ol ...

Canterbury Festival The Canterbury Festival is Kent's international festival of the arts. It takes place in Canterbury (England) and surrounding towns and villages (including Faversham, Whitstable and Margate) each October/November and includes performances of a vari ...

, London Ambassadors Theatre, St George's Hall in Bristol, Watford Colosseum, Leeds Town Hall, Manchester RNCM and had two runs at Soho Theatre. He has performed in some of the world's greatest concert halls, selling out the

Elbphilharmonie The Elbphilharmonie (; "Elbe Philharmonic Hall"), popularly nicknamed Elphi, is a concert hall in the HafenCity quarter of Hamburg, Germany, on the Grasbrook peninsula of the Elbe River. It is among the largest in the world. The new glassy con ...

twice, the

Palau de la Música Catalana Palau de la Música Catalana (, en, Palace of Catalan Music) is a concert hall in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. Designed in the Catalan '' modernista'' style by the architect Lluís Domènech i Montaner, it was built between 1905 and 1908 for O ...

, the

Teatro Real The Teatro Real (Royal Theatre) is an opera house in Madrid, Spain. Located at the Plaza de Oriente, opposite the Royal Palace of Madrid, Royal Palace, and known colloquially as ''El Real'', it is considered the top institution of the performing a ...

, both the Palau and the Belles Artes Valencia, and halls in Argentina, Colombia, America, Europe and Mexico. 2019 saw him touring throughout Germany, including the Berlin Philharmonie and an extensive tour of Spain.

Television

In 2009 Rhodes completed filming a

BBC Four BBC Four is a British free-to-air public broadcast television channel owned and operated by the BBC. It was launched on 2 March 2002

music documentary, ''Chopin - The Women Behind The Music'', to celebrate

Frédéric Chopin Frédéric François Chopin (born Fryderyk Franciszek Chopin; 1 March 181017 October 1849) was a Polish composer and virtuoso pianist of the Romantic period, who wrote primarily for solo piano. He has maintained worldwide renown as a leadin ...

's 200th anniversary and his relationship with the opera singer Jenny Lind. This documentary was broadcast in October 2010. Rhodes filmed a seven-episode series called ''James Rhodes: Piano Man''.James Rhodes: Piano Man
" skyarts.co.uk In July 2013, he presented ''Notes from the Inside, with James Rhodes'' on

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

as part of their ''Mad4Music'' season of programmes, in which each episode featured musicians from across the musical spectrum giving an alternative take on music and what it means to them and others around them; for example the second episode featured

Björk Björk Guðmundsdóttir ( , ; born 21 November 1965), known mononymously as Björk, is an Icelandic singer, songwriter, composer, record producer, and actress. Noted for her distinct three-octave vocal range and eccentric persona, she has de ...

being interviewed by Sir

David Attenborough Sir David Frederick Attenborough (; born 8 May 1926) is an English broadcaster, biologist, natural historian and author. He is best known for writing and presenting, in conjunction with the BBC Natural History Unit, the nine natural histor ...

. During his episode, he both gave some insights into his personal life and played piano to four individual patients, all dealing with their own mental health issues, inside their

psychiatric hospital Psychiatric hospitals, also known as mental health hospitals, behavioral health hospitals, are hospitals or wards specializing in the treatment of severe mental disorders, such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, eating disorders, dissociative ...

by selecting a piece for each of them to match their personalities and individual circumstances, Rhodes filmed a two-part campaigning series called ''Don't Stop the Music'' (working title ''The Great Instrument Amnesty'')Channel 4 to strike a chord with 'The Great Instrument Amnesty'
. channel4.com, 1 April 2014. that was aired on

in September 2014, with the aim of improving music education across the UK. The multiplatform project included an instrument amnesty which collected over 7,000 instruments (worth over £1.5M) to redistribute to 150 UK primary schools, benefiting 10,000 students a year.

Personal life

Rhodes currently lives in

Madrid Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, where he has campaigned to update Spanish laws regarding child sexual abuse. In December 2020, the Spanish

Council of Ministers A council is a group of people who come together to consult, deliberate, or make decisions. A council may function as a legislature, especially at a town, city or county/ shire level, but most legislative bodies at the state/provincial or nati ...

granted him Spanish citizenship. In 2001, Rhodes married novelist Kathleen Tessaro; Rhodes married his second wife, Hattie Chamberlin, in 2014. He married his third wife, Micaela Breque, in 2021. He has a son from his first marriage. Rhodes is a close friend of actor

Benedict Cumberbatch Benedict Timothy Carlton Cumberbatch (born 19 July 1976) is an English actor. Known for his work on screen and stage, he has received various accolades, including a British Academy Television Award, a Primetime Emmy Award and a Laurence O ...

, who attended Harrow School at the same time as he did. Rhodes is on the

autism spectrum The autism spectrum, often referred to as just autism or in the context of a professional diagnosis autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or autism spectrum condition (ASC), is a neurodevelopmental condition (or conditions) characterized by difficulti ...

Discography

Albums *''Razor Blades, Little Pills and Big Pianos'' (Feb 2009), Signum RecordsHewett, Ivan
Classical CD reviews - Simón Bolívar Youth Orchestra, James Rhodes and more
. ''

The Daily Telegraph ''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a national British daily broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and internationally. It was fo ...

''. 18 February 2009.Jones, Rick
Siberian Dido, review for 'Razor Blades, Little Pills and Big Pianos'
. ''

BBC Radio 3 BBC Radio 3 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It replaced the BBC Third Programme in 1967 and broadcasts classical music and opera, with jazz, world music, Radio drama, drama, High culture, culture and the arts ...

''. 20 February 2009.Midgette, Annette
The Classical Beat - What's In a Name
''

The Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

''. 9 September 2009.Distler, Jed
9/10 review for 'Razor Blades, Little Pills and Big Pianos'
classicstoday.com. 11 September 2009 *''Now Would All Freudians Please Stand Aside'' (Mar 2010), Signum RecordsWoolf, Peter Grahame

musicalpointers.co.uk. 15 March 2010.Silverman, Laura
The Times Top Downloads recommends James Rhodes
''

''. 26 March 2010.Thompson, Damian
Why does this clown think he can play late Beethoven
''

''. 8 March 2010. *''Bullets and Lullabies'' (Dec 2010),

Warner Music Warner Music Group Corp. ( d.b.a. Warner Music Group, commonly abbreviated as WMG) is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and t ...

Gardner, Charlotte
BBC Review

BBC Music BBC Music is responsible for the music played across the BBC. The current director of music is Bob Shennan, who is also the controller of BBC Radio 2, BBC Radio 6 Music, and the BBC Asian Network. Officially it is a part of the BBC's Radio o ...

. 8 December 2010.Maddocks, Fiona
James Rhodes: Bullets and Lullabies – review
''

The Observer ''The Observer'' is a British newspaper published on Sundays. It is a sister paper to ''The Guardian'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', whose parent company Guardian Media Group Limited acquired it in 1993. First published in 1791, it is the w ...

''. 26 December 2010.Gill, Andy
Album: James Rhodes, Bullets & Lullabies (Warner Bros)
''

''. 7 January 2011. Cover art by Dave Brown, Bollo from

The Mighty Boosh The Mighty Boosh is a British comedy troupe featuring comedians Julian Barratt and Noel Fielding. Developed from three stage shows and a six-episode radio series, it has since spanned a total of 20 television episodes for BBC Three which aire ...

*''JIMMY: James Rhodes Live in Brighton'' (May 2012), Signum Records *''5'' (Jun 2014), Instrumental Records *''Inside Tracks - the mix tape'' (Oct 2015), Instrumental Records *''Fire on All Sides'' (Nov 2017), Instrumental Records

References

External links

* – official site * – official site
James Rhodes
official

Telegraph Telegraphy is the long-distance transmission of messages where the sender uses symbolic codes, known to the recipient, rather than a physical exchange of an object bearing the message. Thus flag semaphore is a method of telegraphy, whereas p ...

Blog
Don't Stop the Music
music education initiative with Channel 4 {{DEFAULTSORT:Rhodes, James 1975 births Living people 21st-century British male musicians 21st-century classical pianists 21st-century English musicians Alumni of University College London British male pianists English autobiographers English classical pianists English Jews Jewish classical pianists Jewish English musicians Male classical pianists Musicians from London People educated at Harrow School People with bipolar disorder