Didier Squiban

Didier Squiban (born 23 September 1959 in Ploudalmézeau (Finistère)) is a French pianist and composer. His musical work is a combination of traditional Breton music, jazz improvisation and classical romanticism and has added the piano to the repertoire of modern Breton music. He has been influenced by Duke Ellington, Keith Jarrett, Charlie Parker and Bill Evans as well as Debussy, Stravinsky, Erik Satie, Darius Milhaud, Schönberg and Glenn Gould. In 1993, he worked as the accompanying pianist for the Breton singer Yann-Fañch Kemener in the acclaimed live show Héritage des Celtes (The Heritage of the Celts) and thereby got closer in touch with the music of his home region Brittany. In 1997, on the island of his ancestors, Molène, he recorded his first Breton solo piano album: "Molène".