Julian Velard
| Julian Velard | |
|---|---|
Julian Velard at Paradiso Grote Zaal in Amsterdam, NL, November 2014
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Julian Adam Velard |
| Born |
October 6, 1979 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Genres | Singer/Songwriter |
| Instruments |
Vocals Piano Keyboards |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels | Lucky Number (2007) Angel Music (2007–2008) Virgin Records (2008–2009) Planeteer Records (2010–2012) Exodus Entertainment (2014) Chloebro Records (2015-Present) |
| Website | www |
Julian Velard (born October 6, 1979), is an American pianist and singer-songwriter, born and raised in New York City. In addition to releasing albums of original material, he is a regular guest on NPR's Ask Me Another and The Wrap Up Show. Velard teaches music and songwriting on the online training site Lynda.com.
Velard was born in New York City on the Upper West Side on Manhattan. His mother, Margaret, is a former actress turned Real Estate Agent. She is also a 4-time Jeopardy Champion and queen-sized legs model who moved to New York from Alabama at the age of 21. His father, Maxime, was a hidden child during the Holocaust. He emigrated from Paris in 1963 and worked in computers and designed the technology for the first ATM for Citibank.
Velard attended Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts, also known as “The Fame School”. There he was classmates with actor Adrian Grenier and singer Kelis, among others. He then attended Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts where he majored in composition. There he studied directly under Jazz legend Yusef Lateef. He also spent a semester abroad in Paris where he studied with pianist Kirk Lightsey from Dexter Gordon’s band and The Leaders.
Upon graduating college, Velard moved to Brooklyn and began his career as a professional musician. Gigging at night, he supported himself by working as Kindergarten Gym Teacher. In 2003 he released his debut album, Nitetime.
In the fall of 2006 Velard released an EP entitled The Movies Without You, produced by Roger Greenawalt. The EP garnered buzz in UK Record Industry Circles and in 2007, Velard signed a multi record deal with Angel Music Group and subsequently moved to London. There he performed at the second ever Latitude Festival. He also played the iTunes Festival co-billing with José González. The following year he was the opening act for Amy Macdonald on both legs of her This Is The Life UK Tour.
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