24 years later an Italian conquers the prestigious Paganini Award. Giuseppe Gibboni it triumphed in the fifty-sixth edition, imposing itself on five other talented violinists. The young blue bearer beat Louisa Staples, Olga Artyugina, Ava Bahari, Lara Boschkor, Nurie Chung. Gibboni is the fifth Italian to win the award. The violinist, born in 2001, is a son of art and owes his passion for the instrument to his parents who have allowed him to learn the first notions since the age of three.
The victory of Gibbons and the first words
To win the coveted prize Gibboni performed Paganini's Concerto n.1 showcasing an extraordinary technique. Among the aspects that have allowed him to assert himself on the other competitors, also the interpretative sensitivity and lyrical elegance. The young Italian also confirmed himself by performing Tchaikovsky's Concerto. These are his words immediately after receiving the award: "Right now it's hard to say something. On stage when I finished Paganini and I received an incredible ovation from the audience, a tear fell, the emotion was just too strong. I dedicate my victory to those who have been close to me, to my family who have helped me since I was three years old ”. After Salvatore Accardo (1958), Massimo Quarta (1991) and Giovanni Angeleri (1997), another Italian therefore won the Paganini.
The history of the Paganini Prize
The Paganini Award was born in 1952 after the war. In reality, the initial idea was by the music critic Carlo Marcello Rietmann in 1940. Twelve years later the mayor of Genoa Vittorio Pertusio and the councilor for culture Lazzaro Maria De 'Bernardis established the competition dedicated to Paganini. In 1954 the first edition saw the participation of only two violinists but the rigidity of the jury led to a failure to award the prize.
In 1956 for the first time the highest award was awarded and in a short time he managed to obtain an international status. In 1956 a GenoVa the foundations were also laid for the establishment of the Federation of International Music Competitions. The Paganini Prize was a founding member.
The awarded violinists
Until 2002, the Paganini Prize was in an annual edition. After a brief two-year period, it was chosen to award the prize every three years. Among the most relevant aspects is the severity of the juries and the difficulty of the tests that often led to not awarding the prize. There are in fact sixteen editions without a winner. There are many technical aspects to evaluate and often reference is also made to interpretative taste. Also noteworthy is the weight given to the quality of execution.
Due to these peculiar characteristics, the Paganini Prize is highly coveted by young people. Furthermore, its difficulty has allowed great names in music to establish themselves. Among the violinists who then conquered the world, there are Accardo, Kavakos, Angeleri, Huang, Faust and Zhu.
Photo source: facebook page Paganini Genova Festival @paganinigenovafestival
