Maestro
About this Event
Sell-out Fringe 2025 pianist Matthew Leigh Shiel,⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(EdinburghGuide.com), collaborates with acclaimed playwright Alastair Sim ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (CorrBlimey.com) for an experimental 'concert-play'. Featuring Beethoven's iconic piano pieces including Moonlight Sonata and Symphony No 5, Maestro breaks the boundaries of theatre and concert hall! Alastair Sim (Beethoven) is actor, novelist and fellow of the RSA. Matthew Leigh Shiel has collaborated with BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Marine Band Scotland and broadcast BBC Radio 3 and Al Jazeera. Fringe Classics internationally five-star rated:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(EdinburghGuide.com), ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐(BingeFringe.com),⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (TheUpsideNews.com), ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (MissmandaMedia.com).
“a most enchanting concert”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Edinburgh Guide
“masters of their crafts”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Binge Fringe
“profound”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Corr Blimey
Alastair Sim
Playwright, Novelist and Actor
Alastair is the acclaimed author of two internationally published novels: ‘Rosslyn Blood,’ and ‘The Unbelievers.’ Alastair is a graduate of the Universities of Oxford, Delaware and Glasgow and is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce. He follows in the acting footsteps of his uncle and Hollywood icon Alastair Sim - who famously played Ebeneezer Scrooge in the original A Christmas Carol (1951). Alastair Sim played the role of the Ludwig van Beethoven at Edinburgh Festival 2024 in Fringe Classics’ successful production of Maestro.
Matthew Shiel
Matthew Shiel is a British pianist who performs 200+ performances every year across UK, USA and Australia in partnership with the Edinburgh, Brighton, Adelaide, Melbourne and Hollywood Fringe Festivals.
In 2025, Matthew Shiel made history by performing the world’s first piano recital of music composed by artificial intelligence at the Edinburgh Festival; his performance was subsequently commissioned by Dame Wendy Hall’s Web Science Institute (University of Southampton) and broadcast on Al Jazeera.
He has notably performed at Usher Hall and The National Portrait Gallery of Scotland (Edinburgh), The Glasshouse International Centre for Music (Newcastle), Glasgow City Halls and has performed with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra (broadcast on BBC Radio 3) and The Band of His Majesty’s Royal Marine Band Scotland.
Matthew has received multiple 5-star reviews in the press:
“a most enchanting concert” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Edinburgh Guide
“masters of their crafts” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Binge Fringe
“profound” ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Corr Blimey
Matthew is an Usher Hall and Live Music Now Scotland artist, artistic director of Fringe Classics and a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
Fringe Classics
fringeclassics.com
Fringe Classics is an international performing arts company that exports classical music to fringe festivals around the world. We organise 200+ performances every year across UK, USA and Australia in partnership with the Edinburgh, Brighton (UK), Adelaide, Melbourne (Australia) and Hollywood (USA) Fringe Festivals. We also creatively adapt classical concerts for festive occasions including Burns Night, Valentine’s Day, Halloween and Christmas.
Our performances have been broadcast on Al Jazeera; have been commissioned by Dame Wendy Hall’s Web Science Institute (in association with the University of Southampton) and have received multiple 5-star reviews in the press:
“a most enchanting concert”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Edinburgh Guide
“masters of their crafts”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Binge Fringe
“profound”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Corr Blimey
We embrace the unbridled creativity and experimental aesthetic of fringe festivals. We embrace communication between classical music and other musical genres including jazz, folk and pop. And we embrace interdisciplinary collaboration with storytellers, visual artists, dancers, filmmakers and even computer scientists to push the boundaries of what a classical concert can be and create the 'performance of the future.'
In 2025, Fringe Classics made history by performing the world’s first piano recital of music composed by artificial intelligence at the Edinburgh Festival and this historic event was broadcast on Al Jazeera.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 11.00 to GBP 28.33
