To recount the creation of the Key Biscayne Piano Festival is to describe a story of love, passion, and community. An idea that, much like a seed, sprouted to a blossoming flower with the nurture and patronage of the global piano and Key Biscayne communities.

One day, Pietro De Maria, a world-class classical pianist, suggested to his lifelong friend, Amarylli Fridegotto, to collaborate with Giselle Brodsky, co-founder and Artistic Director of the Miami International Piano Festival, on a musical endeavor. Once Gisele proposed a live performance partnership, Amarylli instantly thought of a local festival interwoven into the cultural fabric of Key Biscayne, the island paradise that welcomed her with open arms. She had been yearning for more musical programming on the Key and was thinking of a way to give back to her community. The festival would fulfill both of her desires.

With its founding, The Key Biscayne Piano Festival not only intends of bringing pianists of the highest caliber to indulge a passionate piano audience on the Key, but also to educate and engage young music admirers. As a piano teacher, Amarylli wanted to reinforce the piano lessons with a live example but until the festival, there wasn’t much to offer her students locally. She envisioned a place where her piano students can witness exceptional pianists and musicians, whom have the potential to inspire through their musical interpretations. The hope was the performers’ personal stories would serve as a model and motivate a student to strive for greatness. In short, her dream was to encourage students to fight for their dreams, and the only way she knew how to do so was to expose them to the gift of music.

The Key Biscayne Piano Festival embodies a community-driven philosophy and creates concerts to reflect it. Music also has the capacity to produce a sense of community, uniting musicians and audiences alike— forming bonds that might not exist otherwise. An orchestra fuses disparate instruments to compose a musical masterpiece as a unified force. Music audiences taking in a performance congregate similarly to an orchestra; attracting different cultures and socio-economic strata, which promote diversity and growth.

The Piano Festival Inaugural Season 2018/19 surpassed the organizers’ expectations and left a lasting impression on its patrons. Key Biscayne community members embraced the Piano Festival and invested in its development through attendance, donations, and advocacy at the local government level. All the performers presented in these piano series are superior artists, transmitting messages of peace and hope with their impassioned renditions of classical pieces. Pianists share personal stories about challenges and triumph after each performance and gratefully allow to be interviewed by the audience.

With the Piano Festival’s Second Season 2019/20 upon us, we invite you to participate and experience a magical journey as told by musical interpreters and their piano.