International Composing Competition "2 Agosto"

The International Composition Competition "2 Agosto" is a major composition competition in Italy. It was established in 1994 at the behest of the Association of the families of the victims of the massacre at Bologna Station on August 2, 1980.

The competition was created with the aim of keeping alive the memory of the victims, but at the same time to overcome the concept of mere commemoration, turning the day of August 2 in a creative and artistic response to the act of terrorism.

The competition is held under the High Patronage of the President of the Italian Republic and promoted by the "Committee in Support of Victims of Massacres", composed by the Municipality of Bologna, the Province of Bologna, the Emilia Romagna Region and the City of San Benedetto Val di Sambro.

The competition

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Since the first edition, the Competition takes place free of charge. No enrollment fees or contributions of any kind are required from any participant. The competition is open to young people around the world with rules that can change from one edition to another, but the age limit is usually placed at 35.

The competition announcement usually comes early in the year and all who want to participate are invited to send their score via computer within a predetermined deadline. The theme and type of works in the contest change from year to year.

The winners will see their work performed live in Piazza Maggiore in Bologna on the evening of August 2, as the final event of the commemorations of the Massacre.

The Grand Final Concert is recorded by the cameras of RAI, which deals with the television and radio broadcasting.

Jury

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The jury varies each year, but since 1994, there are many famous names who have succeeded in the role of President.

Some examples: Riccardo Muti, Ennio Morricone, Michelangelo Zurletti, Riccardo Chailly, Semyon Bychkov, Eliot Fisk, Federico Mondelci, Robert Beaser, Tania Leon, Michel Portal, Jacob Ter Veldhuis, Jesus Villa Rojo, Aurelio Samorì, Marco Tutino, Klaus Ager, Detlev Glanert, Domenico Nordio, Jesus Rueda, Gianvincenzo Cresta, etc.

Organizing Committee

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The Organizing Committee of the Competition August 2 consists of:

  • Stefano Cuppi – President
  • Maurizio Guermandi – Organiser - Marketing & Communication
  • Chiara Monetti – Consultant

Pieces commissioned

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Pieces commissioned by the International Composing Competition “2 agosto” from 1995 to now:

  • Marco Betta: Orizzonte, aria for violin and orchestra. Soloist: Cristiano Rossi
  • Sergio Rendine: Exultate, for voices and orchestra. Soloists: Fausta Vetere and Antonio Romano
  • Luis de Pablo: Vendaval, for symphonic orchestra
  • Carlo Boccadoro: Why?, for violin, piano and orchestra. Soloists: Cristiano Rossi and Danilo Perez
  • Danilo Pérez: Panamerican suite, for vibraphone, piano and orchestra. Soloists: Gary Burton and Danilo Perez
  • Carlo Pedini: Le strade di Torquato, for percussions
  • Ennio Morricone: Non devi dimenticare, for reciting voice, soprano and orchestra
  • Giovanni Sollima: Guitar Chemistry, for electric guitar and orchestra
  • Larry Coryell: Sentenza del cuore, for two electric guitars and orchestra. Soloists: Larry Coryell, Al Di Meola
  • Leni Stern: I see your face, for voice, choir and orchestra. Lyrics by Leni Stern. Soloist: Leni Stern
  • Michael Brecker: African Skies (orchestration by Gil Goldstein), for tenor saxophone, choir and orchestra. Soloist: Michael Brecker
  • John Psathas: Omnifenix, for tenor saxophone and orchestra. Soloist: Michael Brecker
  • Fabrizio De Rossi Re: Slow Dance, for accordion and orchestra. Soloist: Ivano Battiston
  • Tania Leòn: Horizons, for symphonic orchestra
  • Françoise Choveaux: Fantasie Op. 122, for clarinet and orchestra. Soloist: Guido Arbonelli
  • Michel Portal: Histoire de vent (orchestrations by Marco Biscarini and Daniele Furlati), for clarinet and orchestra. Soloist: Michel Portal
  • Uri Caine: In memoriam, for piano solo. Soloist: Uri Caine
  • Paolo Fresu: Venticinque anni dopo (orchestrations by Fabrizio Festa), for trumpet and orchestra. Soloists: Paolo Fresu, Cristina Zavalloni
  • Fabrizio Festa: Clandestino, for voice, trumpet and orchestra. Soloists: Cristina Zavalloni, Paolo Fresu
  • Nicola Campogrande: Absolut, new version for cello, electric bass and orchestra. Soloists: Robert Cohen, Angelo Liziero
  • Lorenzo Ferrero: 2 Agosto. Prima variazione, part of Varizioni su un tema di Banchieri per organo e orchestra. Soloist: Roberto Marini
  • Gianvincenzo Cresta: A Miriam. Con la punta delle dita, part of Varizioni su un tema di Banchieri per organo e orchestra. Soloist: Roberto Marini
  • Alberto Colla: Ricordo, part of Varizioni su un tema di Banchieri per organo e orchestra. Soloist: Roberto Marini
  • Bryan Johanson: Fresco, part of Varizioni su un tema di Banchieri per organo e orchestra. Soloist: Roberto Marini
  • Tatsuji Toyozumi: VoicesLittle Things
  • Tomi Räisänen: VoicesFortuna Favoris
  • Pedro Ravares: VoicesBaião
  • Simone Santini: VoicesLa forza debole
  • Michele Corcella: Raggi di un sogno nascente, for four ocarinas, clarinet, mandolin, fisarmonica, and ensemble synthesizers, electric guitar, bass guitar, drum kit)
  • Roberto Molinelli: Zorn Hoffnung Gesang, for violin and orchestra. Soloist: Domenico Nordio
  • Giovanni Di Giandomenico/Valentina Casesa/Roberto Prezioso/Giuseppe Ricotta/Giulia Tagliavia: Dedica – omaggio a Giuseppe Verdi, for soprano, mezzo-soprano, voice, baritone
  • Claudio Lolli: Piazza Bella Piazza, arrangement and orchestration by Michele Corcella
  • Cinzia Venturoli, Valerio Corzani and Fabrizio Festa: Resistenza
  • Francesco Maggio: Di Morsi e Rimorsi
  • Federico Torri, Benedetta Zamboni, Jacopo Aliboni: Tre per Tre

The Winners

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Year Board of Judges 1st Prize 2nd Prize 3rd Prize
1995 Riccardo Muti

Salvatore Accardo

Alberto Caprioli

Azio Corghi

Fabrizio Festa

Tito Gotti

Gioacchino Lanza Tomasi

Hubert Stuppner

Fabio Nieder "Cinque pezzi per orchestra" Carlo Pedini "Il Cantico dei Cantici" Roberto Rusconi "Nel silenzio... dal profondo"
1996 Ennio Morricone

Luisa Castellani

Renato Rivolta

Claudio Scannavini

Alessandro Solbiati

Walter Tortoreto

Fabrizio Festa

Alberto Colla "Pax" Angelo Inglese "...Etenim si ego pax..." Nicola Ciarmatori "...Efferas Feras..."
1997 Renee Jonker

Giuliano Carmignola

Riccardo Chailly

Fabrizio Festa

Jerzy Maksymiuk

Michelangelo Zurletti

Massimiliano Messieri "Virus"

Luca Belcastro "La speranza si torce" Alessandra Corbelli "Piccolo concerto n.1"
1998 Semyon Bychkov

Leonid Klinitchev

Renee Jonker

Danilo Grassi

Carlo Galante

Vincenzo Palermo

Fabrizio Festa

Thomas Ingoldsby "Lamentations and celebrations" Paolo Coggiola "Lo specchio di Nigromontanus" Giovanni Bonato "Worposs Passacaglia"
1999 Eliot Fisk

Tomaso Lama

Giovanni Sollima

Gimpierro Martirani

Matteo D'Amico

Fabrizio Festa

Christos Papgeorgiou "Airocklinos" Dragana Jovanovich "AB RE 1999" Ronald MacNiven "Conflicts and Resolutions"
2000 John Psathas

Federico Mondelci

Carlo Pedini

Fabrizio Festa

Marco Biscarini "Solo per questa notte: 2 agosto" Premio Rossano "Umore" Mirko Guerini "Peace #3"
2001 Robert Beaser

Ada Gentile

Dragana Jovanovich

Ivano Battiston

Fabrizio De Rossi Re

Richard Galliano

Fabrizio Festa

Pino Iodice "The last station" Marco Biscarini "Da lontano... adagio Shigeru Kan-No "Semi-concerto grosso"
2002 Tania León

Salvatore Accardo

Barbara Doll

Kamran Khancheh

Paolo Maragoni

Aurelio Samorì

Fabrizio Festa

Daniele Gasparini "Il violino invisibile" Tomi Raisanen "Nomad" Shaun Christopher Bracey "From tragedy to hope"
2003 Michel Portal

Françoise Choveaux

Jesus Villa-Rojo

Dimitri Nicolau

Guido Arbonelli

Fabrizio Festa

Andrea Manzoli "Concertante da voci" Anthony Suter "Slipping slowly into the sky" Hiroaki Tokuanga "Clarinettissimo"
2004 Jacob ter Veldhuis

Nuno Guedes De Campos

Berislav Šipuš

Enrico Cocco

Francesco Di Mauro

Fabrizio Festa

Tatsuji Toyozumi "Radiation" Vito Palumbo "Movimento I" ex aequo:

George Dulin "Scene from a Living Dream"

and Eddy Serafini

2005 Jesus Villa-Rojo

Dimitri Nicolau

Gianvincenzo Cresta

Wing-Wah Chan

Ivano Ascari

Takahiro Sakuma Eddy Serafini Mirko Guerrini
2006 Aurelio Samorì

Mario Ancillotti

Filippo Bulfamante

Bryan Johanson

Riccardo Piacentini

Fabrizio Festa

Federico Cumar "Papageno made me write this piece" Flauto ed Orchestra "Burlesca concertante" Giancarlo Scarvaglieri "Mozart meets me"
2007 Marco Tutino

Filippo Bulfamante

Nicola Campogrande

Bryan Johanson

Peter Athony Monk

Francesco Pepicelli

Fabrizio Festa

Andrea Nosari "Long lod road" Adriana Isabel Figueroa Manas "Aire de tango" Simone Santini "Il rito dell'inverno"
2008 Claus Ager

Henri-Claude Fantapié

Tomi Räisänen

Per Rundberg

Gianvincenzo Cresta

Massimiliano Messieri

Fabrizio Festa

Javier Farias "Cante la Tierra" Alejandro Marco Gomez Lopera "La danza de la tierra" Daniel Basford "Concertante Suite"
2009 Tania León

Thüring Bräm

Osman Gioia

Detlev Glanert

Gianni Nazzareno Francia

Massimo Priori

Fabrizio Festa

Amirhossein Eslami Mirabadi Parsi “Memorial of Ferdowsi” Michele Corcella “Solennemente e intensamente” Anton Tanonov "Severing winter”
2010 Ennio Morricone

Fabrizio Festa

Thüring Bräm

Luca Cori

Angelo Inglese

Massimo Priori

Andrej Goricar “Ex Anima” Ryosuke KarakiThe Bird That Aspires To The Moon Ulziibayar ShatarVariations aTokkata On A Mongolian Folk Song
2011 Detlev Glanert

Fabrizio Festa

Silvia Colasanti

Antonio Tinelli

Davide Masarati

Zaid Jabri

Annelies Van Parys

Adriano GaglianelloRapsodia concertante Antonio CasagrandeDiabolical Machine Davide FensiRisorgimenta(l) Variatio
2012 Domenico Nordio

Fabrizio Festa

Andrej Goricar

Amir Eslami

Annelies Van Paris

Roberto Molinelli

Gianvincenzo Cresta

Martin KennedyDepending Upon the Light Zhenzhen ZhangThe 2nd of August Edward TopMy Skeletonized Portrait
2013 Jesús Rueda

Dragana Jovanovich

Virginia Guastella

Andrej Goričar

Alfredo Rugeles

Ilya Demutsky "The closing statement of the accused" Zaid Jabri "Les Temps des Pierres" Scott M. Ninmer "Silvan Spirits"
2014 Gianvincenzo Cresta Gillian Anderson

Virginia Guastella

Victoria Harmandjieva

Tomi Räisänen

Beniamin Baczewski "Le Spectre Rouge" Kyle Hnedak "Atticus" Matthieu Lechowski "Duel at Schrapnell"
2015 Fabrizio de Rossi Re (Italia) - President

Barbara Rettagliati (Svizzera)

Marco Taralli (Italia)

Victoria Harmandjieva (Svizzera/Bulgaria)

Fabrizio Festa (Italia) - Artistic Director

Vahid Jahandari "The Checkered City" Paolo Cognetti "Mare Monstrum, Verso Luce" Alvand Jalali Jafari "The red apple of the sun"
2016 Nicola Sani (Italy) - President

Francesco Nappa (Italy)

Günay Mirzayeva (Azerbaijan)

Girolamo Deraco (Italy)

Fabrizio Festa (Italy) - Artistic Director

Alessio Manega "Sincretesi Prima" Giuseppe Ricotta "Quattro Fauni in Fuga dal Tempo Matthieu Lechowski"Le Grillage"
2017 Marco Betta (Italy) - President

Alessandro Castelli (Italy) Andrea Portera (Italy) Enzo Filippetti (Italy) Ivano Battiston (Italy) Fabrizio Festa (Italy) - Artistic Director

Mohammad Amin Sharifi“TrombionOphone or Riders in the Field of Hope" Paolo Cognetti “C(y|ir)cles. In cerca della a-dualità” Lorenzo Fiorentini “J-Rhapsody"
2018 Barbara Rettagliati (Italy) - President

Angelo Valori (Italy)

Mario Rosini (Italy)

Michele Corcella (Italy)

Fabrizio Festa (Italy)

Mozhgan Chahian "Elegy for the Peace" Ilia Skibinsky "The Road" Alessandro Papaianni "Fantasia Sinfonica n.4"
2019 Alessandro Solbiati (Italy) – President

Yoichi Sugiyama (Japan)

Javier Torres Maldonado (Mexico)

Fulvio Macciardi (Italy)

Clara Iannotta (Italy)

Luca Ricci "Transitori Permanenti" Carmelo Bongiovanni "Colors" Lin Sen "Autumn"
2020 Alessandro Solbiati (Italy) – President

Beat Furrer (Austria)

Silvia Colasanti (Italy)

Michele dall'Ongaro (Italy)

Bruno Mantovani (France)

Danilo Comitini "Resa al labirinto" Otto Wanke "Ariadne’s thread" Simone CardiniAncorato "Ancorato, proteso, diffratto – per orchestra"
2021 Ivan Fedele (Italy) – President

Marco Angius (Italy)

Claudio Ambrosini (Italy)

Unsuk Chin (Korea)

Augusta Read Thomas (USA)

Francesco Vitucci "Nelle pieghe" Cesare Rolli "Fluo" Krystian Neścior "Pezzetti di nebbia"
2022 Ivan Fedele (Italy) – President

Charlotte Seither (Germany)

Pasquale Corrado (Italy)

Malika Kishino (Japan)

Fabio Nieder (Italy/Germany)

Eugenio Mininni "(My room has) two doors" Farzan Salsabili "Pre[c]lude" Agustín Castellón Molina "A través de los océanos"
2023 Silvia Colasanti (Italy) – President

Raquel García Tomás (Spain)

Pedro Halffter (Spain)

Jaume Santonja (Spain)

Francesco Filidei (Italy)

Leonardo Marino How to repair your Zeitgeist "How to repair your Zeitgeist" Davide Tramontano "Broken Streams" Giovanni Ciardi "Tides"

Commissioned pieces

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Some of the commissioned pieces by the organizers and performed out of Competition during the Concerto in Piazza Maggiore

  • Marco Betta - Orizzonte - Aria per violin and orchestra - Solista: Cristiano Rossi
  • Sergio Rendine - Exultate - per voci popolari, and orchestra - Solisti: Fausta Vetere and Antonio Romano
  • Luis de Pablo - Vendaval - per symphonic orchestra
  • Carlo Boccadoro - Why? - per violin, piano and orchestra - Solisti: Cristiano Rossi Danilo Perez
  • Danilo Perez - Panamerican suite - per vibraphone, piano and orchestra - Solisti: Gary Burton, Danilo Perez
  • Carlo Pedini - Le strade di Torquato - per percussions -
  • Ennio Morricone - Non devi dimenticare - per reciting voice, soprano and orchestra
  • Giovanni Sollima - Guitar Chemistry - per electric guitar and orchestra
  • Larry Coryell - Sentenza del Cuore - per two electric guitars and orchestra - Solisti: Larry Coryell, Al Di Meola
  • Leni Stern - I see your face - per voice, choir and orchestra - lyrics by Leni Stern - Solista: Leni Stern
  • Michael Brecker - African Skies - (orchestration: Gil Goldstein) - per tenor saxophone, choir and orchestra - Solista: Michael Brecker
  • John Psathas - Omnifenix - per tenor saxophone and orchestra - Solista: Michael Brecker
  • Fabrizio De Rossi Re - Slow Dance - per accordion and orchestra - Solista: Ivano Battiston
  • Tania Leòn - Horizons - per symphonic orchestra
  • Françoise Choveaux - Fantasie op. 122 - per clarinet and orchestra - Solista: Guido Arbonelli
  • Michel Portal - Histoire de vent - (orchestrations: Marco Biscarini and Daniele Furlati) - per clarinet and orchestra - Solista: Michel Portal
  • Uri Caine - In memoriam - per piano solo - Solista: Uri Caine
  • Paolo Fresu - Venticinque anni dopo - (orchestrations: Fabrizio Festa) - per trumpet and orchestra: Solisti: Paolo Fresu, Cristina Zavalloni
  • Fabrizio Festa - Clandestino - per voice, trumpet and orchestra - Solisti: Cristina Zavalloni, Paolo Fresu
  • Nicola Campogrande - Absolut - new version per cello, electric bass and orchestra - Solisti: Robert Cohen, Angelo Liziero
  • Lorenzo Ferrero - 2 Agosto. Prima variazione - Varizioni su un tema di Banchieri per organo e orchestra. Solista: Roberto Marini
  • Gianvincenzo Cresta - A Miriam. Con la punta delle dita.. - Varizioni su un tema di Banchieri per organo e orchestra. Solista: Roberto Marini
  • Alberto Colla - Ricordo - Varizioni su un tema di Banchieri per organo e orchestra. Solista: Roberto Marini
  • Bryan Johanson - Fresco - Varizioni su un tema di Banchieri per organo e orchestra. Solista: Roberto Marini
  • Tatsuji Toyozumi - Voices - Little Things
  • Tomi Räisänen - Voices - Fortuna Favoris
  • Pedro Ravares - Voices - Baião
  • Simone Santini - Voices - La forza debole
  • Michele Corcella - Raggi di un sogno nascente - per quattro ocarine, clarinetto, mandolino, fisarmonica ed ensemble (sintetizzatori, chitarra electrica, basso electrico, batteria)
  • Roberto Molinelli -“Zorn Hoffnung Gesang” - per violino e orchestra Solista: Domenico Nordio
  • Giovanni Di Giandomenico/Valentina Casesa/Roberto Prezioso/Giuseppe Ricotta/Giulia Tagliavia “Dedica - omaggio a Giuseppe Verdi” - per soprano, mezzo-soprano, voce, baritono
  • Claudio Lolli – Piazza Bella Piazza Arrangiamento e orchestrazione di Michele Corcella
  • Cinzia Venturoli, Valerio Corzani e Fabrizio Festa - Resistenza
  • Francesco Maggio - Di Morsi e Rimorsi
  • Federico Torri, Benedetta Zamboni, Jacopo Aliboni “Tre per Tre”

Artwork and image

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On the occasion of the XX Edition, the competition has undergone a restyling of the image that led to the creation of a new corporate logo and a new website through which users around the world can participate in the competition via internet.[1]

For the past several years, each edition of the competition is associated with an artwork created by contemporary artists. The work becomes the symbol of the edition and it is on the cover of the libretto of the big final concert, which is held every year in Piazza Maggiore on the evening of August 2.

References

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  1. ^ Maurizio Guermandi & Associati. Press release: Concorso 2 Agosto – Edizione 2014. Retrieved 30 Match 2015 (in Italian).
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