Francesca Pidgeon (Dilettante)

Francesca Pidgeon is a multi-instrumentalist and composer, who performs and composes under the moniker ‘Dilettante’. Her focus is to create challenging, interesting and expansive pop music which bridges the gap between ‘art music’ and ‘popular music’. Onstage she has performed shows on guitar, bass, alto saxophone, clarinet, keys, French horn, percussion, drums and in both lead and backing vocalist positions, and has received frequent plaudits for her unconventional use of the loop pedal.

Since forming Dilettante in 2019, Francesca has released two EPs and her debut album Tantrum. Tracks from Tantrum were playlisted on 6Music, Amazing Radio and Spotify’s Fresh Finds. Francesca has performed with Self Esteem, Caribou, Graham Coxon (Blur) and Philip Selway (Radiohead) and made festival appearances at Kendal Calling, Live at Leeds, Manchester Jazz Festival, Focus Wales and The Great Escape. She is also a touring member of the artist BC Camplight’s band and has performed across the UK and Europe, playing headline shows across both at venues such as Manchester Albert Hall and The Roundhouse, as well as festivals like Glastonbury, End of The Road and Greenman.

Francesca considers herself a multi-disciplinary artist, hand-making her own merchandise as well as shooting press shots and creating her own cover artwork and music videos, whilst doing the same for other artists. In the past three years she has also begun pursuing work as a film composer, completing scores for two BFI-funded films and earning a Best Composer nomination at Underwire Festival 2022. Francesca has also written musical commissions for Manchester Jewish Museum, Brighter Sound and The Writing Squad amongst others. She is often involved as a workshop facilitator and panellist for various Music Charities and Trusts in the North, after having been a participant in artist development schemes with Brighter Sound, music:leeds, Launchpad+, Help Musicians and Sage Gateshead herself.