AI Mozart
e-programme
In 2025, Matthew Shiel made history by performing the world’s first piano recital of music composed by artificial intelligence at the Edinburgh Festival and this historic event was broadcast on Al Jazeera.
In 2025, Fringe Classics collaborated with acclaimed Scottish filmmaker Jack Hinks at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2025.
Synopsis
Matthew Shiel made history by performing the world’s first piano recital of music composed by artificial intelligence at the Edinburgh Festival 2025; this event was broadcast on Al Jazeera and subsequently commissioned by Dame Wendy Hall's Web Science Institute (UK). AI Mozart is a ground-breaking concert of original piano pieces composed by artificial intelligences in an eclectic variety of styles blurring the line between human genius and artificial intelligence. For the grand finale, YOU the audience compose a brand new piece using AI! This show is where Mozart meets machine.
Click HERE to learn more about tonight’s artists
EdFringe25 x Jack Hinks
“Pure Fringe mischief, exactly what AI Mozart promised, and delivered. The brainchild of pianist‑storyteller Matthew Shiel, this is no droll lecture on algorithms, but a full‑blooded, ear‑worming plunge into AI’s compositional whims.”
“Shiel’s evident joy, paired with a direct, approachable delivery, made it feel intimate”.
“a spirited theatrical event: modest in scale but audacious in concept. The tension between programmatic novelty and emotional resonance is what gives the performance its heart. In the chapel’s hush, Shiel teases the audience with possibility, inviting us to imagine a future where artistry isn’t lost in cogs and code, but reborn in curious, collaborative invention.”
“Downright Fringe, infinitely playful, surprisingly soulful—AI Mozart turns out to be far more alive than I thought any algorithm could have generated”