About

Iris Carmen was born in Zurich, Switzerland, by Italian parents. Her father, an accordion player, soon recognized the talent of his daughter, as at the age of 8 years she started to play on an organ during a friend‘s visit without having ever had a single piano lesson. She played and sang some Italian songs which she had heard on the radio. She tried to convince her father to buy her a PIANO (not an organ, as she was sure the piano was the right instrument for her).
However, a piano was rather expensive and they couldn’t afford to buy one so they enabled her to join the music school children’s CHOIR instead.
Iris Carmen was very happy to sing in the choir, but after 2 years she had only one thing on her mind: THE PIANO! Her insistence paid off and she received her long desired piano. She learned fast and her piano teacher was amazed about this talented young girl. 1 year after her first piano lesson, she already played Mozart’s „Marcia alla Turca“ at the first gig of her local music school.
But besides her passion for CLASSICAL MUSIC, she still had the need to sing pop songs that caught her ear and to accompany herself on the piano. At the age of 12 she wrote her first INSTRUMENTAL SONG. Following this, her SONGWRITING became more and more important to her. She had MELODIES and STORIES on her mind that needed to come out, that needed to be told to someone, like a DIARY OF HER LIFE.
4 years of classical piano studies followed, among others at the Music Academy of Zurich. Then her teacher decided she was ready to apply for pianist academic studies at the CONSERVATORY of Zurich.
During the preparation year at the Conservatory, she didn’t feel very comfortable. All students were at least 4 years older and she missed her singing and songwriting which had no place at all in the classical studies. This year became one of the hardest in her life. However, this experience was probably necessary in order to discover the real passion she had for her SINGING and COMPOSING HER OWN SONGS. Therefore, she decided to quit the Conservatory.
At the age of 22 she recorded her first demo-cd including 4 pop-songs, all performed at the piano and written by herself in English.
After she returned from LOS ANGELES where she spent several months improving her English skills, she started to perform as a SOLO PIANIST, SINGER and FRONT WOMAN of her own BAND at various private and commercial EVENTS. During this time, she met Christina Jaccard, a Jazz, Soul and Blues singer who became her coach and mentor.
On her latest DEMO-CD, recorded in 2009, Iris Carmen presented 5 SONGS which were chosen from a wide repertoire of her songs.
This is only a small part of Iris Carmen’s songs but gives an insight into her talent as a SINGER-SONGWRITER and PIANIST.

http://www.iriscarmen.com

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• Iris
  Singer-Songwriter, Pianist