"Your city is full of pianos" is back in Madrid with new locations

"The initiative of the Fundación Jesús Serra and the Maria Canals Competition is coming to the capital on 14 October with 10 grand pianos, with new and iconic locations throughout the city."

The Fundación Jesús Serra, of the Grupo Catalana Occidente, and the Maria Canals International Music Competition will be bringing back to the city the joy of playing the piano with their initiative “Your city is full of pianos”. On Friday, 14 October, Madrid will be filled with music as 10 grand pianos are set up in important areas in the capital, with new locations that are sure to delight the city's pedestrians.

Thanks to the collaboration of the Madrid City Council and the Merchants Association of the Las Letras neighbourhood, locals and visitors alike will be able to enjoy art and music blend in an unparalleled setting. 

This year, the pianos will be set up in some of the city's most iconic locations, the goal being to surprise everyone who is in the vicinity with this enjoyable initiative. The Plaza de Platerías, Plaza de Ópera, Plaza de la Villa and Plaza de Jacinto Benavente are all new on the list of locations this year, along with Plaza de Canalejas, Casa Museo Lope de Vega, Carrera de San Jerónimo, the intersection of Sevilla and Alcalá streets and Plaza de las Cortes.

From 11 a.m. until 8 p.m., these pianos will be available to professional musicians, students in conservatories, music schools, children and amateurs, so they can turn Madrid into one large live music hall. The instruments will include two concert grand pianos, usually only played in large concert halls, which will exceptionally be available to the public for one day to play and enjoy.

The 10 pianos will be placed in the following locations in Madrid:
1. Plaza de Canalejas
2. Plaza de Platerías
3. Casa Museo Lope de Vega
4. Carrera de San Jerónimo (next to the Palace hotel)
5. Intersection of Sevilla and Alcalá (next to the Four Seasons hotel)
6. Calle Alameda 15 (next to the playground)
7. Plaza de las Cortes (garden opposite the Congress)
8. Plaza de Jacinto Benavente
9. Plaza de Ópera (next to the Teatro Real)
10. Plaza de la Villa

The day's highlights can be shared on social media through photos, videos and messages with the hashtag #PianosMadrid.

The “Your city is filled with pianos” artwork invites the public to engage with, activate and take ownership of their urban environment. It is one of the highlights organised jointly by the Fundación Jesús Serra and the Maria Canals Competition to bring music closer to everyone in Spain.

"Madrid welcomes us yet again this year to celebrate "Your city is full of pianos". On 14 October, we want everyone in Madrid, residents and visitors alike, to be surprised and enjoy the unforgettable moments offered by this initiative. The new locations will let us flood iconic places in the capital with music, and fill Madrid with pianos and melodies", says the director of the Fundación Jesús Serra, Ignacio Gallardo-Bravo.

The director of the Maria Canals Competition, Jordi Vivancos, also noted the importance of this project. "It's quite a treat to be able to carry out such a special initiative as "Your city is full of pianos", which, apart from bringing music and piano closer to society, also lets us showcase the country's finest talents and encourage participation in the prestigious Maria Canals International Music Competition”, he explained.  

The close collaboration between the Fundación Jesús Serra and the Maria Canals Competition has allowed this cultural activity to take place in several cities such as Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao, Sevilla, Cádiz, Málaga, Salamanca, Toledo, Santiago de Compostela, Valencia, León, Granada, San Sebastián, Zaragoza, Cáceres and Santander.