Francisco Sassetti

From his journeys across different musical styles, Francisco Sassetti drew the idea of creating stories connected to days in his life, to the things that happen and to the people close to him, taking on musical form—almost like storytelling at the piano.

Francisco Sassetti’s approach fits within what has come to be known as the neo-classical movement, a minimalist style associated with composers such as Arvo Pärt, Wim Mertens, Michael Nyman, and Ludovico Einaudi, among many others. It draws from classical music, but also from pop/rock, jazz, and film music.

Francisco Sassetti has over 30 years of career as a pianist on the Portuguese classical scene. He has performed throughout the country and also in France, Belgium, Germany, the United States, Spain, and Uruguay, alongside some of the finest Portuguese musicians. He has recorded around a dozen albums, often collaborating with major names in Portuguese music, such as Maria João. Ute Lemper is one of the international artists with whom he has recorded. Among many other projects, he has conducted a choir, written and performed musical theatre, continues to work as a teacher (at the Lisbon School of Music and the Metropolitan Orchestra), and has taken part in cabaret shows as well as a symphonic rock band.