Antonio Breschi

Antonio Breschi was trained in jazz and classical music from a young age, O'Breskey graduated in piano from the Luigi Cherubini Conservatory in Florence. Throughout a five-decade career, he has produced albums and shows that integrate Irish, Arabic, flamenco, jazz, Latin and Basque traditions, contributing to the innovation of Irish music and various contemporary genres. His compositions have been used as soundtracks for television, theatre and ballet, and they have also been employed in therapeutic settings. His strong connection to Ireland led him to adopt the name Antoni O'Breskey, and he performs as the leader of his ensemble Nomadic Piano Project. O'Breskey pioneered cross-cultural fusions that were later associated with world music, and his early works are credited with anticipating Riverdance and providing a key structural influence for the show. He has released over 40 albums that feature prominent musicians from a wide range of global musical traditions, including Ronnie Drew (The Dubliners), José Seves (Inti-Illimani), Antonio Carmona (Ketama), Benito Lertxundi, Gabin Dabiré and Ali Tajbakhsh. In 2026, he celebrated his 50th anniversary as a musician and composer through the release of the three-volume compilation 50 Years of Music, and a screening of a new documentary about his musical career titled The Piano Nomad, directed by Luke McManus. In addition to music, O'Breskey has written books, earned a degree in herbal medicine, and worked in music education and social work, including roles such as cook, actor, poet and humanist advocate.

• Name — Antoni O'Breskey • Birth Name — Antonio Breschi • Birthplace — Florence, Italy • Alias — Antoni O'Breskey • Genre — Irish, jazz, blues, flamenco, Celtic, folk, classical, new age, world music • Years Active — 1976‒present • Occupation — Pianist, composer, singer, multi-instrumentalist, writer • Instrument — Piano, vocals, trumpet, dulcimer • Website — nomadicpianoproject.com

Antonio began playing jazz and classical piano at the age of 3. He graduated in piano at the conservatory Luigi Cherubini in Florence, where he also studied trumpet. He founded the Florence Jazz Society at the age of 16, and a few years later the International Folk Group, which became the group Whisky Trail. This name refers to the journey of the Irish emigrants to America and the meeting with the African people which, pursuant to Breschi's belief, gave birth to jazz. In fact among the many original titles of his albums were "Irish Meet The Blues" (his first solo album), "When Jazz Was An Irish Baby", "On The Irish Side Of Blues Street" and "Bound For America". Between 1970 and 1973 he spent long periods in the USA in Alabama and Louisiana to explore the roots of blues, discovering the strong influence of Irish music in jazz, and performing with old jazz traditional musicians. These experiences are described in his tale “Alabama”. Still very young he appears in 1972 in Auburn, Alabama, playing with the "Auburn University Orchestra" and jazz trombonist Urbie Green. Then in 1980 he appeared in Rome with jazz violinist Stephane Grappelli for the first RAI (Italian National Television) Concert For United Europe. In 1985 he concluded the International Jazz Festival of Poland in Kalisz, together with South African pianist Abdullah Ibrahim (also known as Dollar Brand), and in the same year he performed for the National Spanish Television in the stadium of Alcalá de Henares accompanied at cajon by Antonio Carmona De Los Abichuelas, leader of group Ketama. Antonio Carmona also participated in his flamenco album "Punta Umbria" and "Al Kamar", a fusion between flamenco, Arabian and Irish music. The broadcasting "Fin De Siglos" announced him as "the new Keith Jarrett from the Mediterranean". In Ireland he started a long collaboration and friendship with Ronnie Drew of The Dubliners, who participated in many of Antonio's albums, the most significant called "From Dublin to Bilbao". Then later he was on stage in Cesena, Italy, with Rumanian pan flute player Gheorghe Zamfir, in Istanbul with the gipsy Turkish clarinet player Selim Sesler, in Paris with African saxophone player Manu Dibango and rock blues French singer Jacques Higelin. He made many tours in Italy, Ireland and Switzerland with Irish musicians Máirtín O'Connor (De Dannan), Andy Irvine, Planxty, Dolores Keane (De Dannan), John Faulkner, Johnny McCarthy, Joe McHugh, Maurice Lennon (Stockton's Wing), Gerry and Annie O' Donnell, many of whom participated in Antonio's albums. In the Basque Country he started a strong relationship with national Basque singer Benito Lertxundi, who participated in his albums "Mezulari" and "Donostia", and Basque poet Josè Angel Irigaray, who created together with Antonio the album of poems and music called "Zeharbidetan". He also participated in his work "Orekan", which in Basque language means "harmoy among the people". In 2008 he began a strong collaboration with José Seves, leader of group Inti Illimani, who sings in his album "Nomadic Aura". Among the many musicians that appear in his live performances and in his albums are Persian percussionist Alì Tajbakhsh, African singer Gabin Dabiré, Cathy Jordan (Dervish), Brid Ni Mhaoileoin, flamenco guitarists Juan Martin, Tomas De Los Reyes, Balen Lopez De Munain, Arabian violinist Jamal Ouassini (director of Tangery Orchestra), Biancastella Croce, Sergio Candotti, Elena Vicini, Mia Froelicher, Massimo Giuntini, Mario Serraglio, Vincenzo De Luci and many more. Recently Antonio appeared in Ireland in duo with singer Donovan and special guest Chris De Burgh, and with Eoin Dillon (Kila). Currently he is playing in trio with his daughter Consuelo Nerea (singer, fiddle and bodhrán player) and celloist Davide Viterbo (who both participated with the music and production of most of Antonio's albums since 2001) and sometimes in quartet with oboist Enio Marfoli, who participated in the album "Boletus Edulis: Suite For Piano And Oboe".