Kara Frame | July 15, 2022
Ludovico Einaudi was on a North American tour, playing before audiences in the thousands, when he stopped by the NPR office to play a far more intimate setting: a Tiny Desk set. It’s the first tour for the Italian pianist and composer since the beginning of the pandemic, following the release of his 2022 album, Underwater. It’s an album that captures how many have felt in the pandemic — feeling underwater, or trapped in another world.

It’s that relatable feeling — like we’re treading water trying to remain above the surface, powering through the adversity of the last two years — that makes Einaudi’s music so emotional and reflective. The pulsating strings of the opening song to his Tiny Desk concert, the track “Experience” from his 2013 album In A Time Lapse, demand attention, captivating the audience. The fact that the song recently went viral due to a TikTok trend only proves how welcoming Einaudi’s music is — and why he is the most-streamed classical pianist of all time.

Ludovico Einaudi’s presence at the piano keeps you waiting for more. His fingers glide over the keys effortlessly, but he never seems rushed. As he plays, his eyes are closed. And in this concert, you can tell his music moves him as much as it does his audience.

SET LIST
“Experience”
“Fly”
“Flora”
“Low Mist”

MUSICIANS
Ludovico Einaudi: piano
Federico Mecozzi: violin
Redi Hasa: cello
Francesco Arcuri: percussion

TINY DESK TEAM
Producer/Director: Kara Frame
Audio Engineer: Josh Rogosin
Director: Joshua Bryant
Creative Director: Bob Boilen
Series Producer: Bobby Carter
Editor: Kara Frame
Videographers: Kara Frame, Joshua Bryant, Michael Zamora, Pierre Kattar
Production Assistant: Jill Britton, Joby Tanseco
Tiny Desk Team: Suraya Mohamed, Marissa Lorusso, Hazel Cills, Ashley Pointer, Maia Stern
VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins
Senior VP, Programming: Anya Grundmann

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