PianOrquestra / Dell'Arte Soluções Culturais Ltda.

PianOrquestra is a ensemble that specializes in extended techniques on a prepared piano, presenting a fascinating approach to the piano.

Five classically trained musicians play the keyboard, the inside, the bottom and the sides of a prepared piano. Through a variety of preparation resources that are not normally used by a traditional pianist, the orchestra sounds like a samba band, a gamelan ensemble, a percussion ensemble; the pianists seamlessly exchange function and position to create an instrument that expresses itself as one voice.

PianOrquestra uses prepared piano techniques based on John Cage’s experiments to explore the infinite possibilities of sounds produced by a piano. An intriguing musical experiment transforms the piano into its own orchestra. Timbres range according to the density, weight and texture of the objects used on the preparation, some of which are especially built for the group. This way, PianOrquestra creates possibilities of sounds similar to a guitar, cavaquinho, contrabass, violin, harpsichord, sitar, and others, in addition to the most varied percussive timbres.

The group distinguishes itself from other prepared piano ensembles by the incorporation of Brazilian folk music into their repertoire, combined with dance and vocalization to create a multi-faceted sound-scape. The performance flows easily from classical to popular Brazilian music, including contemporary composers such as Villa-Lobos, Ernesto Nazareth, Tom Jobim and Milton Nascimento and ethnic rhythms such as samba, choro, coco, maracatu and ciranda. Video adds another compelling dimension, with prepared films, as well as images of the musicians as they perform, projected onto large screens. The concert pleases and surprises critics and audiences alike and also includes strong rhythmic sessions and interaction with the audience.

PianOrquestra makes music that reflects contemporary artistic currents, attracting new audiences for instrumental music. This is a musical act that can be appreciated by all audiences, including children and families, breaking down traditional barriers for the instrumental music genre.

The group began in 2003 as an academic research project, conducted by Claudio Dauelsberg, professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Since then recorded one DVD and played in Brazil’s greatest stages and festivals, Canada, Chile, and Europe and has been sponsored by major Brazilian music investors such as Petrobras, Banco do Brasil, Caixa Econômica Federal, Correios, Oi Futuro, Votorantim.


Dell'Arte Soluções Culturais > A classic of the 21st Century

The last two decades confirm that Dell'Arte's Classical and Contemporary Music events, as well as its ballets and operas, have been present in the scene of the most important theatres in Latin America, especially in Brazil. The good welcome given to the artistic expression, either if it is to reveal a new speech or to stay with the universal tradition, comes from the unchanging effort given to the improvement of our services.

A diversified work targeted to the generation of new products, adequate to a more up-to-date mass media, that is always engaged with the best results ever, for the artist, the sponsor or the public - the great protagonist in this job.

From tours that get the whole country connected to the four corners of the planet to the production of CDs, Dell'Arte is apt to enable new solutions to broaden the access to culture, to guarantee the firms engaged with social responsibility, its financial reward.

A challenge that stimulates the creation of projects aiming the essential blending between art and citizenship. A tendency we intend to expand in order to turn it into a classic of this new century.

Dell'Arte today, more than a company, a symbol of culture.