Francesco Cavestri - Improvised Concert

An improvised concert, between two shores of NOÈ

Admission is free; booking is required. To reserve a place, please email rsvp.iicedimburgo@esteri.it.

Following his concert on 19 November at Steinway Hall in London for the London Jazz Festival, rising star of Italian jazz Francesco Cavestri, Steinway Artist and Universal Music Italia recording artist, arrives at Edinburgh’s PIANODROME on 20 November at 19:00 (doors open at 18:30) with a solo piano concert conceived as a single, sweeping flow of musical creation: music that is born and completed in front of the audience, in the very moment it is heard.

The concert opens with Omen of a Sea and closes with Souvenir di un Bacio, two pieces from his latest album NOÈ (Universal Music Italia, 2026). Between these two shores lies the open sea of improvisation: everything in between is spontaneous music, created on the spot, born in the instant it is played and never to be repeated in the same way.

It is a form that looks to the great solo concerts Keith Jarrett gave across Europe throughout his career, beginning with the legendary Köln Concert: evenings when the pianist walks on stage without knowing what he will play, and the music takes shape from listening to the room, the audience and the instrument. Themes surface and dissolve, ostinatos turn into dances, silences echo through the evocative setting of the PIANODROME: every idea springs from the energy that builds between the audience and Francesco Cavestri, where the sounds and emotions of each listener become protagonists of the concert.

The PIANODROME is the perfect home for this experience. The piano stands at the centre, surrounded by the audience: there is no stage separating the artist from the listeners, only an intimate space where audience and musician are intertwined, and improvisation becomes a conversation. Every response from the room, even the quietest, finds its way into the music. The seating is built entirely from materials salvaged from abandoned, unused pianos: instruments that once fell silent and now welcome those who have come to listen. In a room built out of pianos, the undisputed protagonist can only be the piano itself, with the expressive and creative versatility that only this instrument can offer a performer live: orchestra and voice, percussion and song, all within the reach of ten fingers.

Programme

• Opening – Omen of a Sea (from NOÈ)

• Improvisations – spontaneous music created live

• Closing – Souvenir di un Bacio (from NOÈ)

Francesco Cavestri

Born in Bologna in 2003, Francesco Cavestri trained at the G.B. Martini Conservatory in Bologna, Berklee College of Music and The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York. A Steinway Artist and Universal Music Italia (Classics & Jazz) recording artist, he has released four albums; the latest, NOÈ (2026), blends contemporary jazz, electronic textures, hip-hop sampling and symphonic grandeur, with the Budapest Scoring Orchestra featured on the closing track Souvenir di un Bacio. Named New Talent of the Year by Musica Jazz magazine for three consecutive years (2023–2025), listed in Forbes Italia Under 30 – Entertainment 2025 and recipient of the IJVAS Award, he has collaborated with artists including Paolo Fresu, Fabrizio Bosso, Malika Ayane and Enrico Intra, and has performed in New York, Chicago, Toronto, London and Dubai.

Please also note that photographs will be taken and video recordings made during the event. These images and recordings may be used for marketing, promotional and other communications, including on our website and social media channels. If you do not wish your image to be used, please inform the event organisers or contact eventi.iicedimburgo@esteri.it before the event.

The Pianodrome is based in a 130 year old ex church building, and currently the space is unheated, so please remember to wrap up warm.

Doors open 30 mins before listed start time

Free Entry, By Donation We think it's important to offer free music and culture to all. The acts for these shows are always paid and we rely on donations on the day to maintain our free shows. Suggested donation is £10, though any amount is welcome! :)

Pianodrome Bruntsfield is at The St.Oswald's Center at 41 Montpelier Park, Bruntsfield, Edinburgh EH10 4NB, just parallel to the main street and next to the primary school. It has an accessible entrance and an accessible toilet. Please get in touch if there is anything else you'd like to ask or tell us prior to your visit.

Accessibility

There is ramped access to the main hall of the Pianodrome. We have an accessible toilet and space for wheelchairs. Most of our performances are relaxed performances. If you have any access requirements please feel free to email us at boxoffice@pianodrome.org.

Babes in arms

You do not need a ticket for babies, but if your child is likely to take space in a seat then please book them a ticket.

Non-human visitors

Pets are welcome if they are well behaved.