Kitzingen is set to welcome a special visitor from the USA in September: on Sunday 20 September 2026, the American musical duo ‘Richie & Guy’ will take to the stage at the Stadtschoppen on the Stadtbalkon from 5.30 pm. The two musicians from the state of Delaware have a special connection to Kitzingen – even though they have never been here before.
Back to basics
Guitarist Guy Pietrovito has so far known Kitzingen mainly through his mother’s stories. Bess Nahigian came to Kitzingen from Boston in 1951 as a teacher to work at what was then the American School. Guy’s father, Jeremiah Pietrovito, was also stationed in Franconia at the time as a US soldier. The couple fell in love and eventually got engaged in Kitzingen. 75 years later, their son is now visiting the town for the first time himself.
The fact that this has come about is also down to a long-standing friendship. Bob Schlossnagle, who lives in Lewes, Delaware, has been visiting his relatives in Repperndorf (the Schloßnagel family) at least once a year since 2009. Time and again, he raved to his neighbours in the US about the beautiful town of Kitzingen am Main. One of them is Guy Pietrovito – and his interest was immediately piqued: he wanted to finally get to know the place to which his family has such close ties. And he’d love to perform there one day with his bandmates.
A special concert
That’s how the idea came about to combine the visit with a performance. As part of the ‘WildTimes’ events in 2026, commemorating the 20th anniversary of the withdrawal of American forces from Kitzingen, ‘Richie & Guy’ were included in the Stadtschoppen music programme.
Musically, visitors can look forward to “legendary rock ’n’ roll classics”. Guy Pietrovito has been a guitarist since the age of ten and has played in various rock bands over the decades. His musical partner, Richie Molinaro, has been performing on stage since the age of eight. He has performed with various bands in the USA, released songs on Warner Bros. and Roulette Records, and has shared the stage with artists such as Aretha Franklin, amongst others.
A group of twelve travellers
“Richie & Guy” are not travelling alone for their first performance in Kitzingen. Together with their wives, Bob and Cathy Schlossnagle, and six other neighbours from their community, they form a twelve-strong tour group. They will be touring Germany from 14 to 25 September, spending four of those days in Kitzingen.
The highlight will be the performance on 20 September from 5.30 pm on the Stadtbalkon: an American duo will be playing rock ’n’ roll in Kitzingen – and for Guy Pietrovito, a place that has only ever existed in stories will finally become a real place that he can experience for himself.