Bagheria reaffirms its position as a center of excellence for classical music with the new edition of the “Baarìa Piano City 2026” piano festival. Part of the prestigious program of the 10th Bagheria Concert Season, the initiative will bring four internationally renowned events to the Borremans Hall of Palazzo Butera.
Organized by the Bequadro Cultural Association with the support of Chorus Inside Sicilia, under the patronage of the Municipality of Bagheria, and under the artistic direction of Maestro Salvatore Di Blasi, the festival will begin on April 24th and continue with three dates in May. The program offers a sonic journey ranging from the classical repertoire for cello and piano to major solo recitals.
The Program of Events:
– Friday, April 24th (8:00 PM): Chamber concert for cello and piano with maestros Kristi Curb (cello) and Renato Giarrizzo (piano).
– Saturday, May 2 (6:30 PM): Recital by solo pianist Onofrio Claudio Gallina.
– Friday, May 8 (6:30 PM): Piano concert with soloist Giovanna Borruso.
– Friday, May 15 (6:30 PM): Grand finale with a chamber concert for violin and piano, performed by Salvatore Greco (violin) and Massimo Bentivegna (piano).
The festival offers a unique opportunity for residents and tourists to enjoy the acoustics and artistic beauty of the Borremans Hall, the beating heart of Bagheria’s culture, through performances by renowned artists.
The program for the first concert (masters Kristi Curb on cello and Renato Giarrizzo on piano)

PIANO SOLO
The Belle Epoque
Crazy for Love
That Time When…
Wild Tango
Spring of 2023
Pomegranate
Only for You
A Cloud on the Horizon
The Way We Were
Moonstones

CELLO and PIANO
Like a Butterfly
Drops of Amber
A Sad Lady
A Breath in the Night
Waiting for the Dawn

KRISTI KERB
Born in Texas, she began studying at the age of four and continued for over a decade with Lev Aronson. She furthered her studies with masters such as Mstislav Rostropovich and Ralph Kirshbaum. She has won prestigious competitions, including the Muriel Taylor International Scholarship Prize (the first American to win it). She has performed at iconic venues such as Carnegie Hall in New York and at renowned festivals (Verbier, Aix-en-Provence). He has performed as a soloist with major orchestras (Dallas Symphony, RNCM), performing the classical repertoire of Bach, Haydn, Tchaikovsky, and Saint-Saëns. He has lived in Italy since 1995 and has been Principal Cellist of the Teatro Massimo Orchestra in Palermo since 1998. He plays a Francesco Ruggeri cello from around 1670.

RENATO GIARRIZZO
He trained at the “V. Bellini” Conservatory of Music in Palermo in the class of Livia Giacchimo Paunita, graduating with honors. For over 40 years, he has taught piano, while consistently performing both as a soloist and in various chamber music groups. His repertoire has ranged from classical music to 20th-century composers, including Stravinsky and Bartok, also promoting Sicilian composers abroad, including Maria Giacchino Cusenza, of whom he was the last student, Eliodoro Sollima, Fortunato Patti and lastly Norino Buogo, to whom he is linked by a sincere friendship that goes beyond the professional relationship.