For centuries the Italian city of Cremona has been at the very heart of string music, thanks to its place in history as the home of violin making. Now it looks to the future, with the opening of The Stauffer Center for Strings, the first international, fully integrated music centre for the higher education of string music.
It will provide training and support to exceptionally talented young string musicians from around the world, with a focus on research, composition, production, management and innovation.
The centre’s headquarters, Palazzo Stauffer (previously Palazzo Stradiotti), is in the heart of Cremona. An iconic, 17th-century building, it has undergone major restoration to become a high-tech, sustainable and entirely plastic-free multifunctional campus.
It’s hoped that the centre will become a meeting and sharing space for artists, teachers and students, where they will be able to express their talent and creativity. World-class artists will work alongside the current renowned Masters of the Stauffer Academy: Salvatore Accardo (violin), Bruno Giuranna (viola), Antonio Meneses (cello), Franco Petracchi (double bass) and the Quartetto di Cremona.
The centre will create partnerships with music organisations, including some of the most prestigious academic institutions in the world, and all of its programmes will be offered as scholarships. This will allow musicians to attend free of charge, ensuring accessibility from a diverse range of international musicians.
The inauguration of The Stauffer Center for Strings will take place on 1 October (International Music Day), with an Open Day event at Palazzo Stauffer, which will also be streamed on its website – stauffer.org.
Photo by Matteo Blaschich Studio
