Our story

In 2016 Tim Vincent-Smith invented the Pianodrome as an interactive sculptural installation for creative community.

With bandmate Matthew Wright as creative producer Pianodrome CIC was set up in 2017 to build the world’s first amphitheatre made entirely from up-cycled pianos. Through a stupendous effort by a dedicated team the delivery of the Pianodrome at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh in August 2018, for the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, saw 18,000 visitors, attracting critical acclaim and international recognition.  

The Pianodrome has since become an iconic symbol of community and cultural resilience in Scotland’s capital.

We were commissioned in 2021 to build a series of 10 interactive sculptures from up-cycled pianos for the Leeds International Piano Competition’s city-wide Piano Trail, winning an award from the Royal Philharmonic Society.

In 2022 we took over the Old Royal Highschool on Calton Hill, where we ran a full-spectrum programme of over 200 shows across 60 glorious summer days.

In early 2023 our first international project saw us working with the Charlotte SHOUT festival to build a Pianodrome in Charlotte, NC in the USA.

In September 2024 we returned to Leeds with a sculpture trail and Pianodrome Amphitheatre installed at the Leeds City Museum for the International Piano Competition bringing piano joy to over 2.5million people.

This spring Tom Nelson and Shona MacArthur, co-founders of our Adopt a Piano scheme which has found good homes for over 250 donated and reconditioned pianos, have joined Tim, Matt and original builder Emily Martinelli as directors of the company.

We currently run weekly free piano dismantling sessions and concerts as well as our Adopt-a-Piano showroom from our warehouse workshop in Granton. This year we hope to welcome the public into the spectacular South Nave of St Oswalds Community Centre in Bruntsfield. Watch this space.

Look around our website for more information - or go to Our Projects for a deep dive into each of our projects.