Andrew Cannestra

Andrew Cannestra is a pianist and composer who first caught widespread attention as the grand prize winner of the 2021 Aeolian Classics Emerging Artist Competition, where jurors unanimously praised his "probing artistic vision." He went on to earn the bronze medal at the 2024 Seattle International Piano Competition and has built an active career as both a soloist and sought-after chamber musician. His debut solo album, *Mystic Pool*, dropped in 2022, and he's since released a new album featuring works by 19th-century composer Józef Wieniawski on the Naxos label in November 2025—some of which had never been professionally recorded before.

Beyond performing, Cannestra is equally accomplished as a composer and has a real passion for championing living composers and historically underrepresented artists alongside classical masterworks. He's a founding member of Oasis Ensemble, a piano trio that performs regularly across Oregon, and has collaborated with major orchestras including the Chicago Symphony, Pittsburgh Symphony, and Oregon Symphony. Currently, he serves as a Visiting Instructor of Music at St. Olaf College while pursuing his doctorate at the University of Oregon.