Question 1

True or false: Tiersen is a classically trained pianist who never learned to read sheet music.

Accepted Answer

True. He studied classical violin and piano but is largely self-taught in composition and prefers playing by ear, rarely using written scores.

Question 2

True or false: Yann Tiersen won an Oscar for the 'Amélie' soundtrack in 2002.

Accepted Answer

False. The 'Amélie' soundtrack was nominated for a BAFTA but never an Oscar. Tiersen didn't win any major US film awards for it.

Question 3

True or false: Tiersen's music heavily features the accordion because he grew up playing it in French folk clubs.

Accepted Answer

False. He played violin and piano as a child, not accordion. He adopted the accordion later as a stylistic choice for his melancholic, folk-infused sound.

Question 4

True or false: Yann Tiersen composed the entire 'Amélie' soundtrack before the movie was even filmed.

Accepted Answer

False. Tiersen's existing songs were used, but he also wrote new material during production. The soundtrack is a mix of older album tracks and new compositions.

Question 5

True or false: Yann Tiersen owns and operates his own independent record label on a remote island.

Accepted Answer

True. He lives on the island of Ushant off Brittany and founded the label 'Ici d'Ailleurs' with a partner, releasing his own and other experimental artists' work.

Question 6

True or false: Yann Tiersen once recorded an entire album using only sounds from a single abandoned factory.

Accepted Answer

True. For his 2014 album '∞ (Infinity)', Tiersen used field recordings from a deserted factory on the island of Ushant, layering them with piano and electronics.

Question 7

True or false: Tiersen once performed a concert inside a volcanic crater in Iceland.

Accepted Answer

True. In 2019, he played a live set inside the dormant Thrihnukagigur volcano in Iceland, using the natural acoustics for a unique performance.

Question 8

True or false: Yann Tiersen is the lead singer of a French punk band called 'The Dust Busters'.

Accepted Answer

False. He has collaborated with punk musicians and fronted noisy projects, but 'The Dust Busters' is not a real band. He did form the band 'Tout Va Bien'.

Yann Tiersen Trivia Questions