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Rufus Wainwright: a modern troubadour with an old soul

There are few artists as difficult to categorise as Rufus Wainwright. This Canadian-American singer-songwriter and composer is a true musical all-rounder, effortlessly moving between intimate piano ballads, exuberant pop, and even large-scale opera. He is the son of two folk legends, American musician Loudon Wainwright III and Canadian artist Kate McGarrigle, and quite literally grew up surrounded by instruments. The apple clearly didn’t fall far from the tree, although Rufus soon chose a path of his own - one that was far more theatrical than that of his parents.

Popera

Wainwright’s music is often described as baroque pop or popera, meaning rich, layered arrangements filled with strings, brass, choirs, and of course his signature flowing piano style. His songs often sound as though they’ve stepped straight out of an old Hollywood musical or a classical concert, yet with a modern, romantic, and at times even cynical twist.

His major breakthrough came around the turn of the millennium with albums such as Poses (2001) and the ambitious two-part project Want One (2003) and Want Two (2004). Songs like Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk perfectly capture who he is: a master at blending gorgeous melodies with lyrics full of self-mockery, longing, and a touch of melancholy. His voice is his most important instrument, a powerful, slightly nasal tenor that never fails to move listeners. One song that remains as relevant as ever is Going to a Town, which he wrote in 2007 in response to the political climate in the United States.

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Versatile

Wainwright is constantly seeking new musical challenges and refuses to repeat himself artistically. While most pop artists focus on producing their next album in a similar style, Rufus chose a different path: he wanted to write an opera. And he did, resulting in successful productions such as Prima Donna and Hadrian. One of his most celebrated projects, however, was Rufus Does Judy, in which he, as a great admirer of the Great American Songbook, meticulously recreated note for note the legendary concert of his idol Judy Garland at Carnegie Hall.

Authentic

Throughout his career, Wainwright has also been an important figurehead for the LGBTQ+ community. From the very start, he was open about his identity at a time when this was far from common in the music industry. Back in the 1990s, it was still widely believed that an openly gay male artist would be commercially unviable, as much of a pop star’s success was thought to depend on a female teenage fan base. Wainwright proved the opposite: he became one of the most respected and gifted songwriters of his generation – or, as experts have described him, a modern troubadour with an old soul. It’s no coincidence that Elton John calls him “the greatest songwriter ever,” while Sting praises him for his “timeless music.”

Want to experience Rufus Wainwright’s music for yourself? On Sunday 18 January, he will perform with the Residentie Orkest at Muziekgebouw Eindhoven. The programme includes excerpts from Wainwright’s opera Prima Donna and his moving Dream Requiem, as well as works by other composers; all, of course, performed in his unmistakably Wainwright-esque style.