Cremona Triennale Violin-Making Competition Announces 2024 Winners

Alessandro Peiretti's cello won the coveted Gold Medal and will be displayed in the Stauffer Foundation's collection

The Concorso Triennale Internazionale di Liuteria Antonio Stradivari, a violin-making competition that attracts some of the best luthiers of the 21st century, recently came to a close. In all, 315 luthiers from 376 different countries took part, and presented a total of 401 different instruments for the jury.

The coveted Gold Medal was awarded to one single instrument: a cello by Alessandro Peiretti. This award recognizes that the instrument concerned is of a sufficient quality to be displayed in the collection of the Stauffer Foundation in Cremona.

Peiretti first began learning the craft of lutherie from his father, Davide, before proceeding to the Turin Conservatory "Giuseppe Verdi", where he studied cello with Antonio Mosca. He also studied with Rocco Filippini at the Accademia Stauffer in Cremona, as well as Antonio Meneses and Enrico Bronzi.

Liu Zhaojun had the best score for any of the violins, and received a silver medal. Renzo Mandelli and Milos Seyda both received double bronze medals, and Borja Bernabeu received the highest score for any viola. Piotr Pielaszek received the Walter Stauffer Award for an instrument with beautiful timbre.

In 2024, the jury comprised luthiers Ulrich Hinsberger (Germany), Massimo Negroni (Italy), Benjamin Ruth (US), Elisa Scrollavezza (Italy), and Gao Tong Tong (China) — as well as violinists Fabrizio von Arx (Italy/Switzerland) and Daniel Rubenstein (Belgium), violist Alberto Salomon (Italy), cellist Dan Sloutskovski (Russia), and double bassist Mirela Vedeva Ruaux (Bulgaria).

"The Competition has grown and improved in all these editions thanks to the contribution of the community of our luthiers, which from time to time have suggested constant refinements of the regulation, and also of the many jurors who, at the end of the various editions, left us with precious notes on their experience, moreover always very appreciated," said Paolo Bodini, President of the jury.

"One thing certainly remained unchanged over time and that is the selectivity in the awarding of gold medals in the various categories in the race. It is in fact assigned if the instrument is considered by the jury as high enough in quality across all categories to enter the permanent collection of the Foundation and be exhibited in the Museum next to the masterpieces of the past."

"The Triennial Competition represents much more than just competition: it is an event of fundamental importance for the Cremona violin making and for the city itself," added Andrea Virgilio, Mayor and President of the Violin Museum Foundation. "This competition, which every three years celebrates excellence and innovation in the field of violin making, not only reinforces the tradition that has made Cremona famous in the world, but also demonstrates how this tradition can evolve and renew itself."