Although our musical backgrounds have been very different (as you can read from individual interviews) we had ever thought of performing together or performing with another pianist as Duo. Upon the meeting of one another, we learn that our forte, that is, Bruni synthesizes and Iannone’s analyses, have given a music a new ensemble. This has allowed multiple interpretation view points that enriched enormously our musical ideas.

MOL: Your family influence in your choice of musical career...

We being a family has played a major influence to each other’s career and this further accented since the birth of our daughter, Eleonora.

Our musical strategy evolves around three concepts: 1) the structure of the piece; 2) the perspective of creating and producing the sound like orchestra; 3) the colour and dynamics of the sound interlacing to the phrase. Everything starts at the bottom level and we carefully examine and construct sound that are most approval to our ears.

With no doubt, the most important moments have been the following three. The first one is the recital held in the Teatro Massimo "Bellini" in Catania in 2001. We used part of that live recording to take part in the WCH Competition 2003. In September 2002, we performed a world-première of a composition that was dedicated to us by a composer and a conductor, Carlo Franci titled "Oneiros" for two Pianos, Orchestra and electronic sounds. Performing with Carlo Franci has been one of the emotional moment in our lives. He himself conducted that performance and working side by side with him has been a great lesson. The third and last moment is our tour in South Africa in August 2003 with the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra we performed in the same program both the Mendelssohn Double Concerto in A flat major and the Saint-Saëns "Carnival of the animals" (we performed this last piece without the conductor).

We think our strength in our playing is the ability to suit each other and to consider the music in the sense of space and rhythmical animation.

Most of our time is dedicated to our little daughter so, not much of it is left for any special hobbies.

MOL: How do you judge a good performance?

When we listen to other Duos, what strikes us is the ability to create unity with two pianos. Often the Piano Duos performances sound like the sum of the two instruments instead of a fusion that gives to the pianos sound more chance towards the search of an orchestral three- dimension. We would like to compliment the Tosheff Piano Duo, who won the WCH Competition together with us, on their refined descriptions of several different sound colours and their skill to lead music through.

We live in Southern Italy, in Barletta, a nice town near sea, together with our daughter Eleonora.

MOL: Do you have to change the style of your playing because you are now playing duo?

We wouldn’t speak of "style" changing but a sort of "adjustment". When a pianist, who usually performs as a soloist, or playing ensemble, he should throw away ones "ego" to merge with all the sounds produced from all instruments. He must learn to listen to the whole mass of sound and relate to it. That’s why sometimes a very talented soloist may not play chamber music as one should and vice versa. We think that the most difficult thing is to switch from one to the other in a natural way; usually when we find our "specialty" we are strongly attracted to keep that choice forever. We started quite late this new adventure after a long "soloist training" and we must say that it’s been a wonderful experience for both of us; even if we have always played Chamber music, from Duo to the Quintet, to play in a Piano Duo is something radically different. Both pianists are in the same level (the score often exchanges the parts) and the instruments are similar so that it’s difficult to single out whose sound is which.

We think that our playing is strongly influenced from life in general. Many artists had important changing points after a decisive fact in their lives (marriage, birth, death of beloved…). Probably that’s it art started; the need to express our feelings through an "instrument" that can express at its best. Experience is a process and an artist is strongly touched by any vibration of life, just the fact to get older.. and getting older is an incredible way to turn things into something different from before.

We think that this process doesn’t happen ordinarily, we don’t decide to alter our mood or mind (specially due to sad events). Our view of performing arts follows our life-journey and the birth of a new family is a big chapter. Probably we wouldn’t be able to tell from the inside of the process all the precise details about what and how it happened, we think that it’s more evident from the outside – for example the people who know us for a long time can realize that better than we do.

We didn’t change our individual practicing: we had to learn how to practice together.

Before the public concert, we organize private concerts in our house inviting friends.

We must say we have wonderful instruments at home: one Steinway D274 (I, Paola, bought it in Hamburg in 1986, ivory-ebony keyboard), one Fazioli F278 (Pasquale bought it in Sacile directly from the owner of the factory , Paolo Fazioli) and one Kawai GS50 plus a Schimmel up-right. Unfortunately our names are not Michelangeli or Richter who used to transport their own pianos everywhere (with risks sometimes, we heard about one piano that fell down into the water in China while trying to move it from the ship to the port … painful!). Anyway we prefer not to move our private pianos from the house to anywhere because every time they get tuned and temperature alteration does not good for the instrument.

Usually the day before the performance we try to "save" energy by not doing any physical activities. That is, practicing less. We don’t eat big meal before the concert, maybe just a tea-spoon of honey if we feel weak. We try to avoid communicating with people before the concert and just focus on gathering inner strength. Of course you cannot control all things at times. When we were students, we only had to do was play the piano; now the challenge is to play your best even if you cannot meet your needs.