Around the end of the First World War, Francesco came to England and in 1920 he married Maria Stierli, with whom he had a daughter, Maeve, and a son, Niso.
“On 21 September 1920 he played Mendelssohn's First Concerto, and on 9 October of the same year the Busoni transcription of Liszt's Rhapsodie espagnole, a week later making his recital debut at the Wigmore Hall; that programme contained favourite pieces he was still playing 20 years later - Bach's Italian Concerto, Beethoven's 'Waldstein' Sonata, Chopin's Cjt minor Scherzo, Berceuse, Fantasy- Impromptu and Al> Polonaise, and the three of Liszt's Paganini Etudes - Capriccio, La chasse, …[and] La campanella.”[1] On the first night of the 1921 Prom season, Francesco contributed with the Weber Konzertstück.
He performed again on the 25 August and premiered his Poema gregoñano, "a three-movement concerto composed in London at the end of the previous year to show how the Gregorian tones, which look back to the ancient Greeks, could still be used.
"[1] He continued to play at the Proms for many years to come, performing Beethoven’s ‘Emperor’ Concerto, Busoni’s Liszt transcription, and his own much-admired Poema gregoñano amongst others.
During this period he also made many powerful performances in England, including both as pianist and composer at Robert Newman’s Promenade Concerts at the Queen’s Hall, with Sir Henry Wood conducting.