Artist Christopher O'Riley
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Christopher O'Riley
Classical pianist Christopher O’Riley didn’t break through to pop-music fans until 20 years into his career, when he released 2003’s True Love Waits, a loving set of Radiohead songs arranged for solo piano. While maintaining his post hosting NPR’s showcase for young classical talent, From The Top, O’Riley has found a second wind reinterpreting the works of contemporary songwriters, releasing another Radiohead collection, Hold Me To This, in 2005, followed by a pair of hauntingly elegant tributes to Elliott Smith and Nick Drake. 2009’s Out Of My Hands dropped the single artist conceit, slotting Radiohead and Smith alongside an ornate “Heart-Shaped Box” and a take on “Asleep” that distills The Smiths’ original to pure mood.
Updated 05/04/2010
