Francesca Tandoi at Cathay • WestK Jazz Fest 2026

WestK Performing Arts' annual flagship music event, **Cathay • WestK Jazz Fest** (the Festival), returns in November with its largest edition to date. For the first time, the Festival will span two weekends, presenting 10 days of exceptional music and cultural experiences from 13 to 15, 17 to 22 and 24 November 2026. Entering its eighth edition, this year's event brings together more than a hundred leading international jazz artists, local pop musicians, emerging creative talents and cross-disciplinary performers, presenting close to 50 ticketed and free programmes. From world-class jazz performances and live music showcases to art park performances and sound-based mindful-listening experiences, the Festival invites audiences to embark on a musical journey that transcends places, genres and artistic boundaries, all set against the stunning backdrop of Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour. Italian Cultural Institute is thrilled to present rising Italian jazz pianist **Francesca Tandoi** to perform at the festival, with **Stefano Senni (double bass) and Pasquale Fiore (drums)**. Known for her fluent and agile piano playing, melodic clarity and compelling improvisation, Tandoi combines the elegance of traditional jazz with a contemporary rhythmic sensibility, revealing the energy and vitality of a new generation of jazz creation. **About Francesca Tandoi** Francesca Tandoi is an Italian pianist, singer, composer, and band leader, celebrated for her artistry, virtuosity, and unforgettable performances. She spent her formative years in the Netherlands, studying at the Royal Conservatory of The Hague and later at Codarts Conservatory in Rotterdam, before launching her international career. Over the years, Francesca has led her ensembles on some of the most prestigious stages worldwide, including Dizzy's Jazz Club at Lincoln Center, Caramoor Jazz Festival in New York, Stockholm Concert Hall, Bimhuis in Amsterdam, TivoliVredenburg in Utrecht, Hakuju Hall in Tokyo, and Teatro Olimpico in Vicenza. She has graced the lineups of numerous major jazz festivals across the USA, Japan, Indonesia, India, South Africa, Russia, Turkey, Israel, and Europe. Since 2014, Francesca has released seven albums as a bandleader and contributed to over twenty other recordings. Her critically acclaimed album Wind Dance (Atelier Sawano, Japan) was named among the Top 10 Best Jazz Albums of 2017 by Jazz Life magazine, which also recognized her arrangement of "Just You, Just Me" as one of the year's most outstanding interpretations, hailing her as "one of the most exciting emerging talents on the international jazz scene."