From rolling his piano around the Alps to the Minthis Music Festival

On his next stop Florian Christl will open the Minthis Music festival 2026. ‘It’s time to leave life behind, to sink in thoughts, to feel alive’

How did a musician go from strapping wheels onto his piano and rolling it to parks in the Alps to being signed to Sony Classical and touring the world? Pianist and composer Florian Christl speaks with excitement and depth, and his love for music is easy to spot. Currently touring Europe with his ensemble, the Munich-based pianist has established himself as one of Europe’s leading contemporary composers.

His music has taken him to prestigious concert halls around the world (and parks, but more later), sharing his vast sonic landscapes with delicate piano lines and powerful string orchestrations. On Wednesday, July 8, he will play the captivating landscapes of rural Paphos as he steps onto the stage of the Minthis Amphitheatre to kick off the venue’s 2026 festival, which will run for five evenings until July 12.

“I am very excited to inaugurate the Minthis Music Festival 2026,” he says. “It will be my first time ever in Cyprus and playing my music in this beautiful setting of the festival. I cannot wait!”

Along with his ensemble, Christl will perform a selection of his own compositions from the programme of his Resonance tour. His music had filled my home in the days before we spoke. One moment, gentle piano melodies drift through the room; the next, dynamic strings take over.

“My music embodies both,” he says. “It is contemporary, but with a deep connection to the Romantic period.

“I love gentle pieces where you simply follow the harmony and melody, but I also love to play music which has energy in it. Other times, I write music which is just fun to play. I think if we have fun playing the music, it will definitely be fun for the audience to listen to.”

Whether he’s performing at Konzerthaus Berlin, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg or an amphitheatre beneath the Cypriot sky, Christl says the setting always becomes part of the performance. “I never play a piece exactly the same way twice, because that’s not a goal I pursue. I try to engage with the occasion or environment, absorb the mood and shape the music accordingly. The music is always in flux. When one becomes aware of this, a piece can be brought to life in any given situation. It is not about adapting the repertoire, but adapting how to perform the music.”

Perhaps these realisations come from his early career when Christl strapped wheels onto his piano to roll it to unassuming locations for impromptu public performances. “I built a wagon and strolled my old piano around everywhere. I pushed it to the Alps, on mountains, in beautiful parks. I was always looking for special places where people won’t expect a piano.”

The experience, he says, taught him a lot about how people interact with music but also how to make music resonate in different situations. This love for music appeared at an early age, but the piano was not the first instrument to charm him.

“I didn’t really choose the piano by myself. I somehow got into it by mistake, and I’m very happy about that,” he laughs. “I wanted to learn the accordion, but before I was allowed to start, I had to learn the very first musical steps – the scales, how to read notes – on the piano.”

From his first piano lessons at six, he decided that music was the path for him. He later learned the accordion as well and is now taking drum lessons. “The more you know about instruments, the more you learn about music. And that will make you a better musician,” he adds.

On Wednesday, as Christl and his ensemble take the stage at Minthis, they will meet more musicians on stage – distinguished violinist Niklas Liepe, signed to Sony Music, and renowned pianist Nils Liepe. Together, they will present a spellbinding musical journey.

“Collaborating is a big and fun part of music,” Christl reflects. “When different musicians with distinct thoughts and experiences about music come together, performing as one, that’s where I believe the really good moments appear.”

If anyone notices a good moment, I imagine it’s a composer. The world of writing music seems like performing some kind of magic to me, but where do his best musical ideas appear? “That’s hard to say because I cannot tell. Inspiration is everywhere,” he answers. “As a composer, I try to walk through life with eyes wide open. I try to soak up every experience, little moment, sound and memory as they can grow into something.”

He begins by improvising at the piano, letting the melodies unfold. This is a cherished moment as it cannot be forced. Suddenly, a harmony, a phrase appears that fits perfectly, and he tries to develop it. “The real composing process starts when I begin to write the music for the strings, the violins and the entire score. It’s hard to explain. Music reflects life in a way. It has this indescribable power to make us feel a way which only music can.”

That is something Christl tries to pass on to his listeners whenever he performs, which he tells me is one of the most fun parts of being a pianist. Before we close and he heads to Minthis Music Festival, Christl shares a phrase he tells often repeats to the audience at the beginning of concerts: “It’s time to leave life behind, to sink in thoughts, to feel alive.”

Florian Christl & Ensemble

Live performance by Florian Christl, his ensemble and special guests Niklas Liepe (violin) and Nils Liepe (piano). Part of Minthis Music Festival. July 8. Minthis Resort, Paphos. 8pm. www.soldoutticketbox.com/event/florian-christl-minthis-festival-2026, www.minthisresort.com/music-festivals