Composer and pianist Alexis Ffrench is one of the biggest modern classical crossover artists, owing to his genre-crossing adaptability. Not only has he collaborated with fashion houses and major pop stars such as Paloma Faith and Leona Lewis, and drawn on soul and hip-hop influences while composing, but he also has a preternatural ability to translate both joy and desperation into piercing, brittle piano pieces. Born in 1970 in Surrey, Ffrench began mimicking the moves of pianists on his family’s dining room table at age four, and soon after started composing string quartets. That led to his being named head organist at a nearby church at age seven and also studying at prestigious institutions such as London’s Purcell School of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and Royal Academy of Music. Ffrench started releasing albums in the mid-2000s and earned classical-chart-topping hits with 2018’s Evolution and 2020’s Dreamland. This increased success has dovetailed with deeper subject matter. The contemplative 2020 single “Walk With Us (For Black Lives Matter)” ruminates on the titular movement, while 2022’s Truth is a deeply moving album written in the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder that features an aching piano performance and yearning orchestral score.