The Florentine was right
He knows what he's talking about. As we get closer we hear divine tunes, and there he is, Piotr, sitting at the stairs of the Uffizi Gallery, playing his classic guitar.
We join the crowd and we enjoy what we hear. His repertoire is focused on classical tunes by composers such as Joaquin Rodrigo, Astor Piazzolla, Leo Brouwer, Alexander Tansman, Roland Dyens. Being a classical guitarist doesn't mean you can't take up some modern tracks. His interpretation of Stings melodious and quiet Fragile and Eros Ramazzottis gentle Piu - che puoi is absolutely worth listening to.
Training and developing
Piotr Tomaszewski was born in 1974 in Poland. At the age of 10 he received his first guitar tuition at a cultural centre in Plock. Attended the Fryderyk Chopin School of Music in Warsaw and completed his studies in the Bialystok branch of the Academy of Music in Warsaw under professor Ryszard Balauszko. Throughout the years he has continued to develop his guitar skills, taking degrees in both Las Palmas, Spain and Paris, France.
A life of recording, travelling, and playing
When he's not travelling doing concerts or recording for Polish radio and television or Spanish Channel 10 you'll find him playing his guitar around the piazza's of Florence. Best chance to spot him is at the Piazzale Degli Uffizi during the afternoons, where he captures both the locals as well as the tourists with his sublime guitar play.
Piotr has won several awards for his play - first one achieved at the age of 14. He's often seen as guest performer at musical events all over Europe and in the USA.
We bring home two of his cd's - Los colores de la guitarra 1 + 2, which contain classical tracks for guitar only. Not bad.
MEET THE STREET MUSICIANS
JEFF FIORELLO
"If you can't get it here, you can't get it anywhere." The motto of New York City!
ERIC QUILLIAM
London is busy as always, even though it is raining. A lot. So there aren't that many street musicians out there entertaining. Well, it turns out that you just have to know where to look for them. Bryan, our local guide and a native Londoner as well as a storyteller, takes us on a tour around London, showing us places he knows are street musician potential. And along the way we get to learn a lot about London that can't be read in any tourist book!
THE TIN PAN BAND
Autumn in New York - it doesn't get much better. After some very hectic days looking for street musicians, we pack our gear and head for Central Park, pretty confident that we'll find what we are searching for on this sunny and warm Sunday morning.
