The Teatro Vittorio Emanuele welcomes the international scope of great music with the second edition of the “Spring Marimba Competition”, an international competition dedicated to the art of the marimba, scheduled for 23 and 24 May 2026.
Promoted by the Ritmo Live APS Musical Association, in collaboration with the EAR Teatro of Messina, the event will see the participation of 54 young percussionists from numerous countries around the world – Italy, Japan, China, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Slovenia, Austria, Denmark, Holland and Romania – transforming Messina into a meeting point between cultures, musical languages and new generations of performers.
The competition was created with the aim of promoting and enhancing the marimba in a high-profile artistic context, offering participants an important opportunity for international comparison. The competition will be divided into three categories: up to 14 years old, up to 19 years old and from 20 years old and up. To confirm the prestige of the initiative, the “Spring Marimba Competition” benefits from the support of two important international companies in the percussion sector: Adams Instruments, a leading company in the Netherlands, and Kolberg Percussion, a historic German excellence, which will make the prizes available to the winners.
The performances will be evaluated by a jury composed of authoritative personalities from the international music scene: the President of the Jury M° Marta Klimasara, teacher at the Staatliche Hochschule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Stuttgart, M° Saverio Tasca, teacher at the “EF Dall’Abaco” Conservatory in Verona, and the percussionist Jessie Chiang, one of the most appreciated young performers on the international scene. The program will officially open with “I love Marimba”, an open podium dedicated to emerging percussionists: a free performance space, conceived as a moment of meeting, listening and artistic sharing, outside of competition.
Under the artistic direction of the Messina percussionist Maria Grazia Armaleo, supported by a team of professional musicians, the project confirms the Teatro Vittorio Emanuele’s desire to support initiatives capable of enhancing young talents and strengthening cultural dialogue through music. The competition activities will end on Sunday 24 May at 6pm with the announcement of the winners.