From Paris to Sicily: the Story Behind Piano Revenge Days Marsala
Sometimes, an entire artistic journey begins with a single encounter. For Piano Revenge, that encounter took place in Paris. A few months later, an idea born between musicians became a reality on the shores of Sicily.
There are festivals that begin with a programme, a venue and a date. And then there are those that begin with a meeting, a conversation, and the feeling that something worth pursuing has just come into being.
The story of Piano Revenge Days Marsala belongs to the latter.
It all started in Paris, in April 2026, during the second edition of Piano Revenge Festival, at the beautiful Théâtre de l’Île Saint-Louis – Paul Rey. Among the international artists who gathered for this celebration of contemporary piano music was Diego Spitaleri, a pianist and composer who had travelled from Palermo to take part in the festival.
It was there that Diego met Anna Bondareva, founder and artistic director of Piano Revenge Festival.
What might have remained simply a meeting between two musicians soon became the beginning of something much bigger. Conversations about music, independent artistic initiatives and the importance of creating opportunities for composers and performers opened up a new possibility: bringing the spirit of Piano Revenge to Sicily.
The idea began to grow.
With Diego’s particular enthusiasm, his determination to make this encounter lead somewhere meaningful, and the shared commitment of everyone involved, what initially seemed like an ambitious idea gradually took shape. Together with Omega Art, Amici della Musica Palermo and MEMA – Mediterranean Music Association, Piano Revenge was able to transform this vision into a real international event.
And so, from Paris, the journey continued south.
A new chapter, in the heart of Sicily
On 20 and 21 November 2026, Piano Revenge Days arrives in Marsala for two evenings devoted to the contemporary piano, independent musical creation and the meeting of different artistic voices.
The setting could hardly be more evocative: the historic Chiesa del Purgatorio, today home to the Santa Cecilia Auditorium, a cultural space where the architecture and history of the city will become part of the musical experience.
Fourteen pianists and composers, coming from different countries, backgrounds and artistic traditions, will meet on one stage. Across two collective concerts, each artist will bring an individual musical language, creating a programme in which contemporary composition, classical heritage, experimentation and personal expression coexist.
The first evening, on 20 November, is entitled Dialogue & Imagination. The second, on 21 November, explores Depth & Resonance.
Two different musical landscapes, fourteen individual perspectives, and one common ground: the piano.
Artists for artists — beyond borders
At the heart of this initiative lies the philosophy that has accompanied Piano Revenge since its creation: artists for artists.
Piano Revenge is an independent, non-commercial cultural initiative, created by musicians for musicians. Its purpose is not simply to organise concerts, but to build a living international community in which composers and performers can meet, exchange ideas, discover one another’s work and find new opportunities beyond the traditional concert circuit.
Marsala represents an important step in this ongoing journey. It is an opportunity to bring together the independent artistic spirit of Piano Revenge and the extraordinary cultural identity of Sicily, creating a dialogue between international musical perspectives and the Mediterranean environment.
For Anna Bondareva, this new chapter also carries a particular meaning. As the founder and artistic director of the festival, seeing an idea born through an encounter in Paris become an international project in another country is a reminder of what independent artistic initiatives can accomplish when people genuinely believe in a common purpose.
And perhaps this is precisely what makes this edition special: it was not conceived as a distant expansion or a simple reproduction of the Paris festival. It grew organically from a personal encounter, mutual enthusiasm and the willingness of several organisations and individuals to work together.
From one encounter to an international community
The journey from Paris to Marsala tells us something essential about the nature of music. It does not recognise borders in the way that institutions, administrative structures or geographical distances sometimes do. A musician travels to another city, meets another artist, shares a stage, and suddenly a new possibility appears.
This is how communities are built. Not necessarily through grand declarations, but through people who decide to make something happen together.
We are particularly happy that Diego Spitaleri’s participation in our Paris festival became the starting point for this Sicilian chapter. His enthusiasm, initiative and commitment have been instrumental in bringing the project to life, alongside the invaluable collaboration of our partners in Palermo and Marsala.
Piano Revenge Days Marsala is therefore more than a new destination on the festival’s map. It is the result of a friendship between artistic communities, a shared initiative and the belief that music deserves new spaces, new encounters and new possibilities.
It began in Paris. It grew through collaboration. And now, it finds its stage in Sicily.
