Genoa's Paganini Prize revamps with new leadership and international push
Founded in 1954 in Genoa, the Paganini Prize is a violin competition that has been revitalized under the leadership of president Giovanni Panebianco, who was appointed by mayor Marco Bucci in February 2022. The new artistic director is Nicola Bruzzo, while Uto Ughi will serve as jury president for the 2025 edition, taking over from Salvatore Accardo. The competition now takes place every two years, with events held internationally during off-years. Winner Simon Zhu is set to perform at the Louvre on January 23, 2024, and will also be featured at Madrid's Prado on September 23 and London's Guildhall on October 15. The 2023 edition attracted 117 applicants from 30 countries. The 2025 event is scheduled for October 14–26 in Genoa, with jury announcements expected in October 2024. Notable Paganini Ambassadors include Gianni Letta and Prince Albert of Monaco.
Key facts
- Paganini Prize founded in 1954 in Genoa
- Giovanni Panebianco appointed president in February 2022
- Nicola Bruzzo named artistic director
- Uto Ughi appointed jury president for 2025 edition
- 2023 edition had record 117 applicants from 30 countries
- Winner Simon Zhu performed at Louvre on January 23, 2024
- Simon Zhu to perform at Prado (Sept 23) and Guildhall (Oct 15) with London Symphony Orchestra
- 2025 edition runs October 14–26 in Genoa
Entities
Artists
- Niccolò Paganini
- Giovanni Panebianco
- Nicola Bruzzo
- Uto Ughi
- Salvatore Accardo
- Simon Zhu
- Gile Bae
- Antonio Pappano
- Giuseppe Gibboni
- Gyorgy Pauk
- Gérard Poulet
- Gidon Kremer
- Ilya Grubert
- Massimo Quarta
- Giovanni Angeleri
- Leonidas Kavakos
- Ilya Gringolts
- Sayaka Shoji
- Carlo Marcello Reitman
- Vittorio Pertuso
- Lazzaro Maria De Bernardis
- Luigi Cortese
- Francesco Micheli
- Carlo Clavarino
- Martine Orsini
- Enrico De Barbieri
- Gianni Letta
- Renzo Piano
- Amyn Aga Khan
- Alberto di Monaco
- Daniela Memmo
- Anthony Pappano
- Robert Allegrini
- Giovanni Malagò
- Marco Bucci
- Claudio Orazi
- Marco Sanzari
- Manuela Svampa
- Matteo Ventricelli
- Sylvain Bellenger
Institutions
- Paganini Prize
- Comune di Genova
- Presidenza del Consiglio dei Ministri
- Ministero della Cultura
- MAECI (Ministero degli Affari Esteri e della Cooperazione Internazionale)
- RAI Cultura
- NIAF (National Italian American Foundation)
- Teatro Carlo Felice
- Louvre
- Prado
- Guildhall
- London Symphony Orchestra
- Royal Opera House Muscat
- European Synchrotron Radiation Facility
- Istituto Internazionale di Restauro
- Conservatorio di Genova
- Artribune
Locations
- Genoa
- Italy
- Liguria
- Nice
- France
- Parma
- Passo Gattamora
- Paris
- Madrid
- London
- New York
- Guangzhou
- Prague
- Tokyo
- Berlin
- Seoul
- Muscat
- Oman
- Grenoble
- Washington