Francesco Piemontesi is a pianist of exceptional expression, technical brilliance and musical refinement. Born in 1983 in Locarno, where he grew up, he made his concert debut in 1994. He studied the piano at music schools in Lugano and Hannover, and was taught by the likes of Alfred Brendel, Murray Perahia and Alexis Weissenberg.

He has been invited to perform at the best concert halls and festivals, such as the Lucerne Festival, or the BBC proms; he plays with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra or Tonhalle-Orchester Zurich, and has performed with conductors like Vladimir Ashkenazy and Mirga Gražinytė-Tyla.

Apart from his work as a soloist and his numerous prize-winning recordings (e.g. Best Newcomer Award – BBC Music Magazine 2012), Francesco Piemontesi also performs chamber music with various ensembles and partners – such as Gautier Capuçon and Tabea Zimmerman, to name but two. He has been art director of the Settimane Musicali di Ascona since 2013.