Francesco Taskayali
Rome, Italy and Istanbul, Turkey
Piano Waves
Behind the Music
Francesco TaskayaliI believe that music is another form of communication — it has the power to express deep sentiments using evocative sounds as context. Having lived in Istanbul, a city divided by the ocean, for many years, I have seen ships from all over the world traveling back and forth. I myself have also been at sea for several days at a time. To me, the most beautiful thing you can experience when afloat on the broad expanse of water is the silence — arguably one of the most important sounds to be familiar with as a musician. I remember that feeling and connected it with what Ian wrote and the field recordings as I started playing my piano. From there, I created my album. I didn’t plan anything. I simply allowed the sounds and words from Ian’s reporting to guide me.
About Francesco Taskayali
Francesco Taskayali is an Italian pianist and composer. Born in Rome, he spent his childhood in Istanbul's Cihangir district until the age of five. In 1996 his parents moved to Latina, a city near Rome, where Taskayali remained until 2008, then he returned to live in Istanbul to finish school. He currently lives in Milan. He began composing music in 2004 at age 13 with the song, “E’ Sera." In 2010 he released his first album "Emre," a collection of all the songs composed up to 18 years old, including the single, "Addio al Terminal." In 2016, he signed with the Italian neoClassical label INRI CLASSIC.
He represented Italy on several occasions: in 2012, performing in Caracas with The Orchestra of El Sistema, 2 June in Berlin for the celebrations of the Republic Day Of Italian, and in 2016 in Los Angeles for the day of the Music Festival. On December 28, 2016 he performed at a charity concert which was hosted in Tbilisi with Nino Surgulazde broadcast live on Georgian television. In his solo career, he has performed in more than 15 countries worldwide.
On May 19th, 2017 “Wayfaring” entered the top 100 in Italy.