Francesco Piemontesi in an interview

"Music-making today has lost a great deal of refinement."

The Locarno-born pianist Francesco Piemontesi has made an international name for himself through awards at several major competitions. He is considered one of the most outstanding new Mozart pianists. Piemontesi's playing is characterized by technical perfection, a large and rich tonal palette, and refined expression.

Classicpoint.net: You grew up in Ticino and now live in Berlin. Where do you feel at home, what kind of environment do you need to be able to work creatively?
For my daily work, for my practice, I primarily need peace and quiet. I find that in my practice room in Berlin just as much as at Lake Maggiore. I don't think the location has a great influence. As far as all other aspects of life are concerned, Berlin currently offers a great deal. But frankly, I can't imagine living there forever. And of course, I'm also frequently in my home region of Ticino because of the Settimane Musicali festival.

You are considered one of the outstanding new Mozart pianists. What is your personal connection to Mozart and his music?
A very direct, long-standing connection. I've always played Mozart from the very beginning. Even as a child, I found his music incredibly human, communicative. The apparent simplicity behind which such depths are hidden. Behind this seemingly effortless balance lies a great deal of work: everything in Mozart must be carefully measured – the tone colors, the articulation, the agogics. It's all interconnected. If you use just a little too much or too little of this or that, it all falls apart. In that sense, a small rondo by Mozart is much more difficult than the most virtuosic pieces by Rachmaninoff or Liszt.

Your most famous teacher and mentor was Alfred Brendel. In what ways did he influence you?
In so many different ways. For example, I worked extensively with him on tone colors. He developed various techniques for imitating orchestral instruments on the piano through nuanced touch. But what influenced me most profoundly was his attitude, his ethos, his great sincerity as an interpreter. Moreover, Alfred Brendel is certainly not an interpreter without historical context, but rather represents a school of thought. He always told me a great deal about his most important teacher, Edwin Fischer, whom he revered as much as I did. An incredibly cultured and subtle pianist. We often listened to old Fischer recordings from Brendel's private collection together and then discussed them. I learned a great deal from that.

You are the artistic director of the "Settimane Musicali di Ascona" festival. What distinguishes this music festival from other comparable festivals?
The Settimane is a relatively small festival. What sets us apart, in my view, is the fact that we are completely financially independent. This allows me to invite artists whose integrity and quality I am absolutely convinced of, without having to worry about their "market value." These days, a few well-known record companies dominate the market through an overwhelming use of PR. Their criteria now focus more on marketability than on artistic quality. By these criteria, legendary musicians like Leonskaja, Sokolov, or Perahia would probably no longer have a major career today. That's why I find it doubly important to offer the audience in Ascona a program that differs from the familiar classical mainstream.

You are interested in quantum physics. What fascinates you about it?
I find it very exciting that things unfold quite differently at the micro level than one would expect. That fascinated me even as a schoolboy. Furthermore, I find beauty in the clear laws of natural science.

Do you see a connection to your work as a pianist?
No, quite the opposite. In natural science, things are right or wrong, true or false. In music, there are always at least a thousand different solutions. Seen in this light, perhaps a longing manifests itself in this preference... But that would probably be too much of an interpretation.

You spoke in an interview about moments of bliss during concerts. What exactly happens to you then?
It's a feeling that probably every musician knows: You're carried away, you forget everything, you become one with the music. However, this only works if all the work has truly been done, and you've prepared as well as humanly possible. Only then can you let go at the crucial moment.

Are such moments of bliss explainable by physics?
Interesting question. I've never explored it on a scientific level. I suppose you'd have to ask a neurologist about that.

What are your future plans and visions?
As a performer, it's very important to me to cultivate and develop my sound. Pianists like Kempff, Fischer, and Brendel did this their entire lives, and I dedicate many hours to this task every day. On average, music-making today has lost a great deal of refinement. This applies to the piano as well as other instruments, in the orchestral and operatic realms. I want to counteract this, as a pianist, as I did in Ascona.

What other interests and activities do you have besides music and physics?
Oh, I suppose it's somehow part of my destiny to be fascinated by all sorts of things, which unfortunately means that one can't always delve into them in depth. Art, architecture, natural sciences, languages, history—the list could go on and on. One thing is perhaps worth mentioning: I've been an enthusiastic fan of campanology, the study of bells, since childhood. Church bells are among the most beautiful instruments in our culture. In my life I have visited countless church towers, I am working with a friend on a compendium of all historical bells in the canton of Ticino, and I have even had bells cast for myself.

Interview by Florian Schär | Classicpoint.net | January 1, 2017
Image © Benjamin Ealovega

Next concerts

September 13, 2026 - Piano Recital: Francesco Piemontesi
September 16, 2026 - Francesco Piemontesi (piano), Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Simone Young (conductor)
December 3, 2026 - Francesco Piemontesi (piano), NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra, Fabio Luisi (conductor)
February 12, 2027 - Francesco Piemontesi (piano), Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Joana Mallwitz (conductor)
March 10, 2027 - Francesco Piemontesi (piano), Vienna Symphony Orchestra, Petr Popelka (conductor)