Pianodrome has entertained audiences here in Edinburgh since it was first created in 2017, and now it has become an international attraction with a residency at Charlotte SHOUT! in North Carolina.
Tim Vincent-Smith and Matt Wright the creators of Pianodrome are permanently based in Edinburgh and built the first amphitheatre from recycled pianos six years ago. The Pianodrome in various shapes and sizes has entertained in the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, The Pitt, the Old Royal High and originally as a mini version in Fountainbridge. The duo went to the US to train artists and builders in making the American version for the community festival. Both are also musicians and the idea is to create a place to perform.
Pianodrome’s ethos is that “No piano is waste, and no person is un-musical” and the creators have a vision of the Pianopticon – an international network of Pianodrome amphitheatres as the environmental alternative to excessive touring.
The amphitheatre was installed at Grace AME Zion Church one of three historic buildings that create The Brooklyn Collective in Uptown Charlotte.
Pianodrome also run their Adopt a Piano project and that is where the story moves to the city centre. Carina Contini of The Scottish Café & Restaurant in Princes Street Gardens has just adopted a piano which they have installed for anyone to sit down and play a tune. But the link to the Pianodrome runs deeper than that. Tim shared with Carina that the idea for Pianodrome was dreamed up over a cup of coffee in the Scottish Café.
As Carina said “Serendipity!”
Pianodrome.org
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
