Italian pianist OLIVIA BELLI in concert

Olivia Belli’s first concert in Lithuania

On 29 March 2027, Easter Monday, Italian pianist and composer Olivia Belli will give her first concert in Lithuania at St Catherine’s Church in Vilnius. The date also marks Piano Day, celebrated each year on the 88th day of the year, reflecting the number of keys on a standard piano.

Olivia Belli describes one of her pieces, Respiro I, as “a simple and pure melody, a calm stream, almost a pause along the way.” The title itself means “breath” in Italian.

Belli’s most vivid childhood memory of her birthplace, Mantua, is a small garden of daisies near Palazzo Te. Her family moved frequently before settling in Trieste when she was around nine. There, between the sea and the rugged Karst landscape, she discovered the pleasure of living close to nature and began playing the piano. Looking back, Belli recalled finding two things in Trieste that she had been missing without knowing it — music and nature.

An accident interrupted her conservatory studies. When she returned to music, Belli began searching for a mentor who could help her find her own direction. In central Italy, she met a young pianist, Enrico, who later became her husband and creative partner. Sharing a passion for contemporary music, they founded a festival where they created performances with dancers, actors, photographers and filmmakers. The piano took centre stage. They called it their piano theatre.

After a period working in London, the couple bought a derelict house in the open countryside of the Marche region. They restored it and have lived there since 2012. Among fruit trees, olive groves and the daily tasks of tending their garden, Belli found a rhythm of life that gave her space to compose. At home, she enjoyed playing film music for her children. This family pastime led to her first solo album, My Piano Dolce Vita, released in 2016. Piano Day also holds a personal place in Belli’s creative journey. In 2018, she marked the occasion with *Other Lines*, an EP featuring four of her own piano compositions.

Her debut album of original music, Where Night Never Comes, explores the small and significant moments that make up a perfect day — one you wish would never end. The specialist piano music platform SoloPiano.com named it its 2018 Album of the Year. Belli later revisited these pieces through electronics, exploring whether music alone could evoke a scene we would usually experience on screen.

Olivia Belli’s first concert in Lithuania offers an opportunity to hear her musical stories unfold live at the piano. This Easter Monday, beneath the vaults of St Catherine’s Church, the evening will offer a moment to pause and listen.