The Jesús Serra Foundation's "Your city is filled with pianos" initiative and the Maria Canals Contest arrives in San Sebastián

"On 24 September 8 grand pianos will grace some of the city's most iconic spaces."

Fundación Jesús Serra, from Grupo Catalana Occidente, and the Maria Canals International Music Competition will be bringing back the joy of playing the piano to the city with their initiative Your city is full of pianos. On Friday 24 September, in different corners of San Sebastian, you will find 8 grand pianos prepared to turn these spaces into authentic outdoor music stages.

Thanks to the collaboration of the City Council of Donostia-San Sebastian, the Municipal School of Music and Dance, the Francisco Escudero Conservatory and the Basque Country Music Centre, the inhabitants of Donostia and all visitors to the Basque city will be able to enjoy art and musical fusion in an unparalleled setting. 

The pianos will be located at city landmarks, such as the Peine del Viento, Tabakalera and the Kiosco Boulevard. In addition, coinciding with the celebration of the 69th edition of the San Sebastian Festival, a piano will also be placed at the Terrazas del Kursaal. The Plaza de la Constitución square, Alderdi Eder Park, Musikene and the Buen Pastor will be other places where visitors can enjoy all types of musical repertoires.

From 11 in the morning until 8 in the evening these pianos will be available to professional musicians, conservatoire students, schools and amateurs, who will turn San Sebastián into a large live music hall. Among these musical gems, two concert grand pianos which are usually only found in large concert halls will exceptionally be available to the public for one day.

The 8 pianos will be placed in the following locations in San Sebastián:
1. Kiosco Boulevard
2. Kursaal Terraces
3. Plaza Constitución
4. Alderdi Eder Park
5. Peine del viento
6. Musikene/ Plaza Julio Caro Baroja
7. Tabakalera/ Plaza Nestor Basterretxea
8. Buen Pastor/ Calle Urdaneta

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

The Your city is full of pianos project aims to promote universal dissemination and practice of music through citizens' involvement. It is one of the highlights organised jointly by Fundación Jesús Serra and the Maria Canals Competition to bring music closer to the entire Spanish population.

For Your city is full of pianos, San Sebastian is a very special stop, as it is a city with a very strong connection with art, music and culture. We are very excited to be able to take music to people and to offer any pianist the chance to play authentic musical works of art," said the director of Fundación Jesús Serra, Ignacio Gallardo-Bravo. He added that "we want to thank the City Council and the Municipal School of Music and Dance, the Francisco Escudero Conservatory and the Basque Country Music Centre for helping to make our return a reality." 

Meanwhile, the director of the Maria Canals Competition, Jordi Vivancos, also stressed the importance of this project by adding, "right now it is important to bring life back to society and offer initiatives as lovely as Your city is full of pianos. We have brought music and piano, but it is also important to promote the country's finest talents with the prestigious Maria Canals International Music Competition”.  

Jon Insausti, Councillor for Culture, stated that "for a city as involved with culture as Donostia, initiatives like this are great news, as they bring music to the public in an interactive way, allowing the people of Donostia to share their talent with their neighbours".

The close collaboration between Fundación Jesús Serra and the Maria Canals Competition has allowed this cultural activity to take place in several cities such as Barcelona, Madrid, Bilbao, Seville, Cadiz, Malaga, Salamanca, Toledo, Santiago de Compostela, Valencia, Leon and Granada. After San Sebastian, the initiative will travel to Madrid on 7 October and Zaragoza on 22 October.