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Playing for peace: meet the pianist providing moments of joy for weary Ukrainian refugees

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Davide Martello travelled 17 hours to play for Ukrainian refugees at the Polish border. (PHOTO: Gallo Images/Getty Images)
Davide Martello travelled 17 hours to play for Ukrainian refugees at the Polish border. (PHOTO: Gallo Images/Getty Images)

It’s an almost other-worldly sight: a man playing a gleaming grand piano under an iron-grey sky as refugees mill around in their hundreds, fleeing a conflict that has ripped their lives apart.

The pianist wears fingerless gloves, his fingers expertly skittering across the keys, and women and children stand and stare as the melody floats through the icy air.

This is the border between Ukraine and Poland, a place of desperation and uncertainty – and it’s the only place on Earth where Davide Martello wants to be right now. Davide, who’s been nicknamed “the peace pianist”, has a singular mission: to bring moments of joy and comfort to people going through unimaginable hardship.

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