Pietro Spada is the second of three sons of Maria Teresa Fodale and Massimo Spada. Although not born into a musical dynasty - his parents both had law degrees - the household was never devoid of music, frequented by many well-known musicians of the time including the violinist Gioconda de Vito and the tenors Giacomo Lauri-Volpi and Tito Schipa. His great-grandfather, Jacopo Ferretti, wrote the libretto for Rossini’s la Cenerentola and collaborated as librettist with other composers such as his close friend Donizetti, Pacini and Mercadante.