Krypticos by Katia Pesti

An incredible sonic voyage on specially prepared piano by this composer and multiinstrumentalist based in Florence, Italy. High intensity. unique timbres, and a very personal language but one may hear musical ties to Iannis Xenakis, Henry Cowell, and Giacinto Scelsi.

All sound material is generated live, without electronics, overdubs, or mechanical interventions on the instrument. The sound arises from the direct and integral interaction between body, piano, and space.

The pianist simultaneously engages with the keyboard, soundboard, and strings, employing extended performance techniques that enhance the piano’s internal resonant body. The use of manually tensioned elastic threads during the performance, without permanently altering the instrument, allows for the exploitation of natural resonances and the timbral possibilities offered by the piano’s structure.

The result is a timbral landscape ranging from percussive sounds and complex harmonics to textures that evoke strings, electronic environments, and polyrhythms, all while maintaining an entirely acoustic nature. The pedal becomes a modulator of timbral density, while touch and gesture serve as tools for dynamic sculpting of the sound space.

Katia Pesti is a composer and performer based in Florence, Italy whose wide-ranging musical praxis encompasses acoustical theory, non-Western approaches, and extended techniques to create a unique and visionary musical expression. All sound material is generated live, without electronics, overdubs, or mechanical interventions on the instrument.