Edoardo Gastaldi, born in 1998, is an award-nominated film music composer based in Venice, Italy. His style combines slow piano lines with deep ambient atmospheres. In his creations, the frontier of repetitive post-classical minimalism meets deep compositional ambient layers, leading his arrangements to become a philosophical thread of condensed melancholy and sparse hope. After several years of music studies, which provided him with formal training ranging from classical piano to music theory, in the summer of 2021 Edoardo started publishing his compositions and productions.
The influence of 17th-19th century pianists and the fascination for experimental edges make his music an ever-evolving equilibrium among Modern Classical, Ambient, and Post-Rock subgenres.
Gastaldi’s philosophical approach is inspired by the sounds of foundational artists including Johan Söderqvist, Hammock, Tony Anderson, Leonard Petersen, Atli Örvarsson, Stephen Porter, Ronit Kirchman, Sigur Rós, John Cage and Nils Frahm. Edoardo’s work deeply reflects his desire to explore human fragility, paradoxes, and the complexities of existence. Over time, his soundtracks were described as capable of delving into the big consequences and underlying roots we can’t avoid.
In 2024 Gastaldi scored the soundtrack for the multi-award-winning short film “Etilismo”, a story that delves into the sensitive issue of chronic alcoholism in youth. Gastaldi also actively collaborates with MayaVic Media, with whom he co-scored the end credits on the short film “Infant”, directed by Marcin Skruch. His most recent collaboration is with George Ammerlaan, rising Dutch sound designer based in Amsterdam. Together with Ammerlaan, the story “Sometimes you’ve got those days” was brought to life.
Discover Edoardo’s introduction to the Festival and a snippet of his upcoming program here:
1. When and how did you realize that your whole life would be linked to music?
I didn’t have a realization or sudden revelation – it happened naturally, over time. At a very young age, I spontaneously approached keyboards, then during my high school years, everything with music started to appear as an option and a magnificent opportunity for self-expression.
2. Which composer has most influenced your musical imagination?
I may admit I have a dual influence inside of me. From a classical-like training perspective, names such as Chopin and Beethoven are foundational, and their vision is also sealed in some of my original compositions. From a more innovative and, I may say, avant-garde approach, compositional ambient artists like Brian Eno, Chris Bartels, and Ronit Kirchman certainly are constant influences that direct my music from a solo-piano spark towards a soft balance of piano and electronics.
3. What is your main creative motto?
I have two, actually. None coming really from me – rather from experience, or people. The first one is a re-adaptation of a sentence I read in a James Clear Newsletter, and the concept sounds like this: It’s virtually certain that someone out there has wounds in the exact shape of our thoughts. With just the right words, the right approach, the right… music, we as artists may have the power to heal that wound.
It’s our responsibility to create something that softly resonates with profound emotions – in ourselves, and mankind. The second motto comes from my dear colleague Fabrizio Brugnera. Once he was listening to one of my compositions and ended up with such a quote that still resonates with me after many years: “Art and music should not be at the service of man, instead, man should be at the service of music and art. I see that in you.” I try to pursue my life – and my musical direction, with these acknowledgments.
4. What would you like to express during your performance at the festival? What will your program consist of and why this choice?
As Giovanni Allevi once said: I may play in front of a crowd, but I know I’ll always be playing as if I was in front of the heart of a single person. That’s it. I often write music tremendously linked to precise events, people, places, and philosophical doubts. I would like to express curiosity and provide listeners with a moment of calmness in a world that is rushing. I plan to play only original compositions during the festival, half coming from my already available catalogue (as of January 2025), and half from a new Album I am currently writing.
5. What goals do you set for yourself, what projects do you have on the horizon?
One personal goal, that mostly represents a fear (aren’t these to some extent the same – goals and fears to overcome?) is to play live again after my last performance in 2023. This festival sounds like the perfect opportunity! Other plans and goals in music – I’ll be writing soundtracks for short films, original compositions for digital distribution, I will push myself to stick to the ambitions that I set and to never forgive the starting point – always stay true to yourself, no matter how the baseline shifts.
6. How do you see the future of piano music?
Deeply depending on the willingness of artists to keep working hard. The piano, unfortunately, is not something you learn at night or in your spare time. It requires dedication, sacrifice, and ambition. It is far known how current music is moving towards selective homogenization. Piano music has the potential ability to stand out as background music for the creation of intense memories and decisional processes in our lives. We as artists may work in that direction.
7. What does Paris represent for you, do you have a special relationship with this city and why did you accept the invitation to participate in the festival?
Very recently I strengthened bonds with some of my closest friends and colleagues in Paris, there would be a list far too long. Paris reminded me of how, no matter the distance, no matter the divergence of life, you always find a way. When talking about the festival – it happened as a domino of opportunities and interconnections. Davide Fasiello and I co-own a magazine, Modern Classical Music Magazine. Davide did a feature issue about Anna Bondareva, who, see, is not only a pianist but also the head of the festival! As we three discovered having a mutual vision and plans, soon Davide and I started thinking about joining the festival.
Discover Piano Revenge Festival and Edoardo’s Music