Pianodrome Announces Brand New And Bespoke Amphitheatre For Edinburgh's Old Royal High School

Edinburgh based community interest company Pianodrome have commenced construction of a 78 seater structure made entirely out of upcycled pianos that is set to open to the public in June 2022.

Over the course of a proposed four-month residency from June through September this year Pianodrome CIC, in partnership with an array of Scottish cultural institutions will offer performers and audiences a first taste of what it will be like to have a new world class cultural hub with excellence and accessibility at its core in the heart of our world heritage city.

The new custom-built Pianodrome Amphitheatre is a 10 metre-diameter circular structure of tiered seating incorporating over 40 pianos which are past their play-by date. The Pianodrome was commissioned as a result of a relationship with St. Mary's Music School and will spearhead community and heritage engagement during the development phase of the new National Centre for Music.

The newly constructed Pianodrome Amphitheatre will have its world premiere as part of the Hidden Door Festival, featuring a full program of music, theatre, dance and spoken word events. The culmination of a seven year creative partnership with Hidden Door, the joint venture is all set to breathe life into the grand and ornate Calton Hill landmark that has sat largely empty since 1968. A special programme of performances is also planned for Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August. Both lineups are still to be announced.

Building on previous successes with hundreds of performances and thousands of visitors and volunteers through the world's first 'Grand Pianodrome' at the Edinburgh Royal Botanic Gardens (Fringe 2018), The Pitt, Leith (Fringe 2019) and Leith Theatre (November 2019) and more recently at the 10 new interactive public piano sculptures of the 'Piano Trail' (Leeds International Piano Competition September 2021) Pianodrome will host a full spectrum of drop-in events, workshops and performances for all ages, abilities and cultural perspectives over the course of four months.

Peter Thierfeldt, Project Manager for the National Centre for Music bid said: "It's such a good fit to have a young, creative and dynamic organisation like Pianodrome involved at this formative stage of the National Centre for Music. This custom-built amphitheatre will be a welcoming new community and heritage engagement space within the Old Royal High that will create a sense of wonder and fun for audiences and musicians alike. Pianodrome work with a range of partners, some of whom might not consider a building like the Old Royal High or its location, as a place for them. During the proposed "Resonancy" it will be a pleasure to hear musicians of all abilities take to the stage, and I am particularly looking forward to performances by the pupils and faculty from St Mary's Music School."

On creating newly commissioned Pianodrome', Pianodrome Producer and Director Matthew Wright commented: "Since we first invited audiences to play with and sit on our upcycled piano sculptures we've been delighted to find ourselves part of an enthusiastic, growing culture of do-it-yourself creative expression in the city. The new Pianodrome Amphitheatre is a chance for us to work with this community, and a growing list of partner organisations, to create a welcoming, sustainable, playful and magical musical space where new sounds and ideas can be shared and celebrated by all."

Pianodrome Director and Lead Artist Tim Vincent-Smith said: "In the same way that we, at Pianodrome, take beautiful old pianos and give them new lives as interactive sculptures, the new National Centre for Music will take the iconic Old Royal High and make it really sing. It is a great privilege and a pleasure to be given this opportunity to play a small part in the commencement of this wonderful transformation."

David Martin, Hidden Door's Creative Director, said: "We are honoured to be hosting the world premiere of a new Pianodrome at this year's Hidden Door Festival in June. While our event breathes new life into Edinburgh's forgotten spaces, Pianodrome gives new life to abandoned instruments, and through their inspirational creativity they generate new space for performers and audiences to experience in a completely unique and often interactive way.

"Their imaginative vision epitomises the spirit of the festival, so it is fantastic to be working in partnership together to put on a programme of theatre, music and spoken word performances that will provide unforgettable experiences for anyone lucky enough to find a seat at the Pianodrome during Hidden Door."

The Pianodrome gratefully acknowledge an anonymous donation which will enable the bespoke amphitheatre to be built.

Hidden Door Festival's programme, including performances in Pianodrome, is due to be announced at the start of March. Further programming for the Pianodrome will be announced in the coming months.

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