Piano City Naples, 11th edition

From Oct. 16 to 19, 2025, the11th edition of Piano City Napoli is scheduled .The festival dedicated to piano music, presents a rich and varied program with more than 300 pianists, 100 events, 21 locations, 37 house concerts and a parterre of international pianists from France, Germany, Japan, Sri Lanka, Iran, Mexico, USA, Kazakhstan, Bulgaria. This year's edition is special, not only in terms of numbers and attendance but also because it is included in the celebrations of the 2,500th anniversary of Naples, with a focus on the city even in the choice of locations.

The artistic direction is entrusted to pianist Dario Candela who, again this year, listened to proposals from hundreds of pianists and selected the large group of artists who will perform. The result is a program that pays homage to the city with great personalities from the world of piano and emerging young people, without neglecting the educational aspect, schools, hospitals and enhancing the centrality of Naples with the involvement of all the municipalities, with the third series of the Scarlatti Forum that will be hosted in Gallerie d'Italia. Piano City is present throughout the city, from Teatro TAN in Piscinola to Liceo Melissa Bassi in Scampia and NEST in San Giovanni a Teduccio. For jazz, Piano City Napoli is being advised by Alberto Bruno and Ornella Falco of the Live Tones association.

The format, the brainchild of German pianist Andreas Kern and replicated in many cities, landed in 2013 in the Neapolitan capital.

The event will open the four-day concert series with a novelty: a preview, Tuesday, Oct. 14 (7 p.m.), with Howard Jones' Spiriocast featuring the British singer, keyboardist and pianist, an icon of 1980s synthpop, performing live from the Steinway in Hamburg, and you will be able to hear him live on the Steinway Spirio | r piano in the Spirio Studio Alberto Napolitano Pianoforti and see him in sync on the screen connected to the piano. Admission to the concert requires mandatory reservations from the festival website.

The opening night will be held at the Acacia Theater on Thursday, Oct. 16 (9 p.m.) with the premiere of "Piano Taranta," a concert curated by Dario Candela and Patrizio Marrone with an eight-piano orchestra and percussion dedicated to traditional Neapolitan dances. The piano ensemble conducted by Giuseppe Galiano will perform a repertoire of music specially written for Piano City 2025 by Dario Candela, Patrizio Marrone, Mimmo Napolitano, Mariano Patti, Ugo Ruocco performed by pianists Lorenzo Corrado, Patrizio Marrone, Alfredo Giordano Orsini, Marco Palumbo, Shana Perrella, Eunice Petito, Ugo Ruocco, Massimo Tomei and percussionist Francesco Paolo Manna. Domenico Quaceci will open the concert with the piece "Napoli in corsa," winner of the "Una Musica per Piano City Napoli 2025" competition.