The International Composing Competition “2 Agosto” was born in 1994 by the willingness of the Associazione tra i familiari delle vittime della strage alla Stazione di Bologna del 2 Agosto 1980. Torquato Secci, the Chairman of the Associazione in those years, conceived the music as the more suitable instrument able to maintain alive both the victims’ memory of that infamous act, and the lesson that
we all should have learnt from that event. It was necessary to respond to that crime with an autonomous and creative action, that is why the composing competition was born, in order to change the target of the terrorist message, to transform its substance and to overreach the mere commemoration. From that time, in respecting the moral commitment we have assumed, the International Composing Competition “2 Agosto” - carried out under the High Patronage of the President of the Italian Republic - has built its own artistic path, focusing on the elaboration of a more universal language, thanks to the weave of different music and musicality, under the sign of the creative innovation. The starting point was to grant to competitors either internationally recognized soloists (among them: Salvatore Accardo, Michael Brecker, Al di Meola, Stanislav Bunin, Michel Portal, Richard Galliano), or a high level orchestral team (the orchestra of the Fondazione Toscanini, and from 2007, together with the orchestra of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna), and talented orchestra leaders. The collaboration with the RAI, which broadcasts the final concert both by radio and TV. Another important partner is the Festival Internazionale Mozart a Rovereto, which has included a prize among ours and performs in its programmes the awarded pieces. From this year there will be the Orchestra Filarmonica di Torino as well, which has chosen to make room for the Competition’s winners within its programs. The International Composing Competition “2 Agosto” has been supported by some of the main international musicians. Among them, a special thanks to the Chairpersons of the Jury: Riccardo Muti, Ennio Morricone, Riccardo Chailly, Semyon Bychkov, Eliot Fisk, Federico Mondelci, Robert Beaser, Tania Leòn, Michel Portal, Jacob Ter Veldhuis, Jesus Villa-Rojo, Aurelio Samorì, Marco Tutino, Klaus Ager. Furthermore, we wish to tank all those artists who collaborated with us during these years, also in the name of the audience which, for many years, recognizes itself within the Competition during the night of
August 2nd when music is the main character and our message of peace, tolerance and solidarity heightens from Piazza Maggiore.
