A Warm and inviting Set of Pieces from Uriel Pascucci
- R.A.G.
- 6 hours ago
- 8 min read
A beautifully performed album release from Uriel Pascucci delivers quite a whirlwind of breathtaking piano performances and pieces that are based in the realm of classical approach, but also blend in other styles like jazz and more. You can hear the combination and blending of styles throughout the record's course, and what really hits is the actual tones and moods that are created, not just with each piece, but also with the full album as a whole.
My Suitcase of Fragments is a record that will sweep you up and take you to different places. The record can be cinematic, inspirational, spirited, and warm. Depending on which piece you're listening to, you will get wrapped up in the soundscape of it all.
Listening to bands for so long can sometimes allow you to forget how gorgeous it is to hear solo piano pieces like this.
I think we forget that they're moving and can paint a picture in our heads as they unfold.
The beauty of records like this is that as it unfolds, it lets your mind go to different places. It sets the mood and the course, but your mind will go wherever it may.
As I mentioned before, it's about the performances. He has such a beautiful dynamic to how he plays the instrument and how the rises and falls of intensity come and go throughout each piece.
This is music that feels alive and breathing, in its own way.
There's something about pieces like this that feel almost nostalgic. Like you're looking back at your own life when you hear it.
It's funny how pieces of music like this can cause memories of your own to pop into your head at random.
You can clearly tell that these come from pieces of his own life, and each one of them is like a chapter in a book. This is part of why I suggest listening to the album all the way through, in one shot.
Each piece shares its own story, but the full album is cohesive. Songs have a strange way of interconnecting with each other.
You wouldn't skip chapters in a book, so I wouldn't suggest skipping songs on this record either.
I come from a very musical family, and one of my uncles would play jazz and classical pieces on the piano downstairs every Christmas. Listening to those genres of music, for that matter, was a pretty standard thing in our household, coming from a big Italian family as I do.
I think this record reminds me of that. I think this album hits a certain sweet spot for me because of its approach and how warm the tones of everything come through. The changes of mood and the sound of natural piano strike a chord for me.
"My Woolen Throw" showcases some amazing technique and almost magically cinematic moments that felt good to listen to.
The record has authenticity. Because it came from Uriel himself and each song has a meaning, you can feel that in the performances.
He wants you to feel some of that magic that he felt in those moments, portrayed through his music.
As the album unfolds, you hear contemporary, classical, and plenty of jazz influences shining through in different places. The record is peppered with these different approaches throughout its course.
"A Family Photo" was a breathtaking piece that definitely felt like it went through a little range of emotions from the beginning to the end.
I love how he's able to portray those emotions in the way he plays and in the melodies he's performing. You can hear little bits of darkness here and there, but a lot of the time it's almost colorful and bright.
As I said, it's about this nostalgic atmosphere he is able to create.
It gives the record character and that's what you end up holding on to throughout it all.
Although you can hear a lot of jazz flowing throughout this record's veins, the classical Inspirations and influences are also really strong. I found that a lot of that is evident in the dynamic of how he hits his keys, bringing more of a dramatic or intense moment in certain sections.
He is really able to control those moments and display them exactly how they were meant to be.
This is a very elegant example of someone's diary. Or, at least it feels that way. We are going through the memories of someone's life but while we listen, we relate it to our own.
That is the most connective element of the entire thing.
This is an album you don't want to miss because it's quite a wonderful experience.
Upon listening to it, I wanted to have a chat with Uriel to find out where his actual influences do come from, along with what might be coming up next for him, and what the record is actually about.
So, while you listen to this delightful record, have a read through of our interview with the performer and composer below.
Let's talk about My Suitcase of Fragments! This record had very cinematic and mood boasting approaches along with hints of jazz undertone! Where did this album come from?
Thanks for your interest on this Album! The project "My Suitcase Of Fragments" is a full album for piano solo with my own compositions, based on the essay by writer Marta Gosovska, who kindly invited me to compose music for her text.
In her deeply moving and well written essay “My Suitcase of Fragments”, published by the Los Angeles Book Review in 2025, Marta Gosovska intertwines memories of Ukraine with the lingering wound of exile. Due to the brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine, Marta was forced to leave her home. Through her words she transformed that pain into art. Marta envisioned for the project "My Suitcase Of Fragments" a shared space where words, music, and art come together in dialogue, with exile as the core theme. The music i composed is then a piano suite, in which each piece reflects the emotions and memories of the different sections in the essay. Furthermore, the Artwork is by Nadiia Kushnir, a prominent illustrator. Nadiia’s painting for the album cover profoundly captures its tone and pain.
-I'm hearing a few different approaches to this release! Who are some of your biggest musical influences?
My compositions have in general a fusion approach, I tend to explore differents sounds with a modern ear. Many musicians and composers have had influence on me, the list is very long..! Well, depending on the release, different layers of my varied influences may be more present or prominent. I have eclectic aesthetic influences. For example, of composers such as Maurice Ravel, Johann Sebastian Bach, Béla Bartók and Igor Stravinsky; then also of jazz musicians like Bill Evans, Miles Davis, Chick Corea and Aydin Esen. Besides, the great tango composer Astor Piazzolla is a very strong influence. The raw pulse of rock as well, especially by Queen and Charly García. All these artists have left a deep mark on me.
-Did you record this at a home setup, or at a big studio?
I worked on the Album "My Suitcase Of Fragments" at my own small studio. It's my place, outside of my home, where I actually practice, compose and record; located in Switzerland, where I am based since long years. After recording this piano suite composition “My Suitcase Of Fragments”, my wonderful team of collaborators joined the process. This music was then mixed by Jason Ruch at Zero by One Sound Studio and later mastered by James Forbes at Vortex Music Productions. Both sound engineers are based in USA.
-How did this all start for you as an artist?
The idea of the album “My Suitcase Of Fragments” started when the writer Marta Gosovska approached me and asked me to compose music based on her essay, she is truly the driving force behind the entire project. I was very pleased by the invitation, and I have a strong affinity for interdisciplinary artistic collaborations. Her text revealed many layers of her life and childhood, deeply infused with a profound love for Ukraine. It all allowed me to understand more the experience of exile from a very personal and different perspective.
This experience opened up my entire creative process. The real challenge was to discover the music within her words. I was working with emotions, which is essentially what I try to do through my music: translating universal life experiences into sound, this is at the core of what I do as a composer. The music emerged through introspection and by entering the text, seeking to reveal the essence of each fragment of the essay through sound. It has been a very rewarding journey.
-Do you do any live performances?
Yes, performing live is one of the things I enjoy the most, sharing music with an audience. Actually, very soon I will be playing live for the first time the full piano suite from the new album “My Suitcase Of Fragments”. This will take place at Harvard Square, with a reading of the essay by the writer Marta Gosovska, painting projections and the original music which I will play at the piano. This event is organized by the great team at Dream Stack Productions and co-sponsored by the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute and the Harvard Square Business Association.
-Now that this is out, what's next for you?
I am constantly learning new repertoire, practicing, and preparing for recordings or concerts, while also composing. I have actually just finished a new composition, a modern chamber music piece, very soon we will start recording the music. This shall be released later during 2026.
-Who's in your headphones right now?
I listen to a great deal of music, I am an open listener. My tastes are quite eclectic, and they often shift depending on the moment of the year or the projects I’m immersed in. At times I return to certain works that feel almost like companions, for instance, Béla Bartók’s String Quartets are pieces I often revisit. I often listen to Astor Piazzolla, Queen, Miles Davis, Paco De Lucía, and many more..!
I also keep a very attentive ear to what my colleagues and musicians across many different styles are creating, that’s something I value greatly. Being a member of both the Latin Recording Academy and the Recording Academy gives me a kind of annual “x-ray” of the music being produced around the world, which constantly leads me to discover remarkable artists and recordings.
-What would you tell people they can expect on this release?
I believe music ultimately exists to be listened to rather than explained. Each listener has to open themselves to the experience and allow the music to resonate in their own way. In the case of “My Suitcase Of Fragments”, I would say the album unfolds as a series of small musical vignettes, with core themes of exile, memory, and melancholy. This release brings together a subtle essay, art, and music in a kind of dialogue, each element reflecting and amplifying the others. This is a portrait of exile. A fragile tapestry of longing, resilience, and love for Ukraine.
-Before we go, what would you like to express to fans of the music?
My message to any listener and music lover would be to choose music as a friend, do not let algorithms and marketing choose for you or fully control your taste and your playlist. Stay curious, develop the healthy habit of discovering new composers and musicians, and when a recording truly resonates with you, seek the chance to hear that artist live. That’s where music breathes most fully.
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