Music
Press
"...the show belongs to Cargill. With her sensual approach, her vocals reach far without faltering. Add to this a soulful adeptness on the keyboard, and her stock is sky high." - Arthur Vega
"...beautiful and poignant..." - Al Mann
"Cargill's talent is on display, and with good reason"
- Arthur Vega
"Christiane Cargill is an accomplished and agile pianist with a gift for melodies. She also possesses a fluid, soulful voice with a wide range. Together, her voice and musicianship beautifully express the sophisticated songs she performs."
- Charlie White
"Christiane Cargill's smooth, rich vocals and sophisticated piano ... wove a soulful, almost wistful and mystical wall of sound that enchanted my socks off."
- Cyhndi Mora
"I'm reminded of Sarah McLachlan in her prime."
- Anna Maria Stjarnell
Discography
Metamorphosis - released April 7, 2007
*On 2008 Grammy Nomination Entry List for Best Contemporary Folk / Americana Album, Best Instrumental Composition (Ceili), and Best Short Form Music Video (Four Green Fields)
Photos
Bio
Christiane Cargill was born and raised in Orange County, California. An accomplished and agile pianist with a gift for melodies and a fluid, soulful voice, she begged to take piano and organ lessons at the tender age of 3, while her legs were still too short to reach the pedals.
Christiane studied classical works with great enthusiasm, but found herself drawn to musical composition and songwriting. She wrote her first song at age 8, and had several albums worth of material written by the time she graduated high school. Christiane received a music scholarship to attend the University of California in Irvine, where she graduated with honors, receiving degrees in piano performance and psychology. After college, Christiane fronted the Los Angeles-based bands ELYN and Riddle the Sphinx, and enjoyed composing for several film projects.
Christiane also co-founded the non-profit organization HeARTS Giving Hope, and was featured in Glamour Magazine's 2005 Woman of the Year issue, and honored with the Toyota Moving Forward Award for bringing music and art therapy to at-risk children. A fiery redhead, Christiane loves to try new things, including scuba diving, indoor skydiving, hang-gliding, and firewalking, to name a few. So its no surprise that this passion for life comes out in her music.
In 2006, she decided to launch her first solo project, exploring her Scottish and Irish heritage. She says, "On this project, I've stepped back from the full band sound, as I wanted to make an intimate recording, capturing the mood and feel of Ireland and Scotland, and what those places have meant to me."
Christiane collaborated with engineer and co-producer David Peters on the project, and arranged the songs with an intimate chamber music feel, including piano & vocals, electric violin, cello, flute, and accordian, as well as percussion from Riddle the Sphinx bandmate Christo Pellani.
The decision to make a Celtic album came from the overwhelming response she received on her version of "Danny Boy," which was offered as a bonus track to people who pre-ordered the full-length Riddle the Sphinx CD, "Fun House." "I've been performing a few of the Irish songs at a gig here and there, and I'm really excited about the responses we've heard; people really seem to connect with these traditional songs, and as an artist, it's a wonderful challenge to take these songs and try to make them my own." In addition to traditional songs, the upcoming album, "Metamorphosis," will feature four original songs.
After recently opening for the Young Dubliners, Christiane says "I've got the bug for it now. I've always been in love with Celtic music, and I'm really looking forward to jumping into this project with both feet!"
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