The Premio Paganini returns to the spotlight in one of the most prestigious museums in the world. After the extraordinary performance at the Louvre in Paris last January, it is now the turn of the Prado in Madrid, where the winner of the 57th edition of the Competition, Simon Zhu, will perform on Monday 23rd September. At the piano will be the famous Dutch pianist of South Korean origin, Gile Bae.

The event, which has been organised to mark the XVIII Meeting of the International Patrons of the Museum, will celebrate the historic cultural links between Italy and Spain, Genoa and Madrid, but also the true “musical inspiration” in the spectacular “Hall of the Muses” where 150 seats will be set up.

The hall holds 8 splendid marble statues, depicting the muses of Christina of Sweden, which were found in around 1500 in Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli. This juxtaposition with neoclassical and romantic sculptures is almost the ideal continuation of the backdrop to the concert in the “Cour Puget” of the Louvre.

Representing the institutions will be Javier Solana, President of the Prado, former Secretary General of NATO, Don Carlos Zurita, Duke of Soria, President of the Amici del Prado Foundation, and Giovanni Panebianco, President of the Premio Paganini, former Secretary General of the Ministry of Culture of the Italian Republic.

The concert, which will be followed in the hall by a select few, will be available to the wider audience in a recorded broadcast, by the channel “Radio Clásica”.

The programme developed by the Artistic Director of the Premio, Nicola Bruzzo, includes pieces by Johannes Brahms, Sonata No. 3 in D minor for violin and piano, op.108 and, from the “Three Caprices of Paganini” op.40 recomposed by Karol Szymanowski, the famous Capriccio No. 24.

This event, the result of the collaboration between the Municipality of Genoa - Directorate of Cultural Policies, the Premio Paganini and the Amici del Prado Foundation, is being promoted through the Foundation’s Newsletter, which has over 40,000 subscribers worldwide.

Alongside the concert - which will also be attended by the Italian Ambassador to Madrid, Giuseppe Buccino Grimaldi - there will be a ceremony to award the title of “Paganini Ambassador” to Don Carlos Zurita. The award will be presented by Giovanni Panebianco and, representing the Mayor of Genoa, by Councillor Barbara Grosso. The concert will be followed by the official lunch for the International Patrons of the Museum.

“The next stop in this journey of renewal and relaunch for the Premio Paganini is Madrid, which is opening the doors of its most renowned museum, the Prado, one of the most visited in the world, with 8,000 treasured works of art. This makes us truly proud and, in some ways, does justice to the extraordinary historical, cultural and economic links between the Spanish capital and our city. I remember well the success of 2nd June last year, right in Madrid, with the Paganini event at the Embassy. This is the direction we need to focus on, continuing with unified purpose and systematic logic to work towards building networks and alliances that detach themselves from the local areas and go beyond borders.” – declares Mayor Bucci.

“After that cinematic journey through the halls of the Prado, which was hosted in 2019 in the Palazzo Ducale in Genoa, today the prestigious Museum of Madrid welcomes the music Premio most historically linked to the Ligurian city. This is a tried and tested model, confirming the effectiveness of excellent teamwork. This result in Madrid was made possible thanks to the commitment of the Committee and the network of Paganini Ambassadors. I would like to thank, in particular, Martine Orsini, Francesco Micheli, Cristina Piaggio and Daniela Memmo. A special thanks also goes to the President of the Museum, Javier Solana, the President of the Amici del Prado Foundation, don Carlos Zurita, and to the International Patrons; to the Secretary General Nuria De Miguel, as well as to the Italian Ambassador in Madrid, Giuseppe Buccino Grimaldi, with whom we have started a very promising collaboration” – comments Giovanni Panebianco.

“The event at the Prado demonstrates once again the quantum leap that the Premio has managed to make in the last two years in terms of internationalisation. We continue to develop the international perspective, and promotion of the image of Genoa, and are consolidating the results obtained so far, with our sights set further afield also outside the EU. I am sure that once again, following the event organised on 2nd June 2023, Madrid will welcome Genoa and the Premio Paganini with warmth and enthusiasm.” – states Barbara Grosso.

“This spectacular concert will be held at the magnificent Prado Museum, where the spirit of Paganini will live on through his prolific influences. The programme includes pieces by Brahms and Szymanowski, who were witnesses of an era during which Paganini was already a legend, celebrated by those who were fascinated by his unbridled and impassioned genius, finding in him an inexhaustible source of inspiration, almost as if he were a muse. After listening to Brahms’ majestic Sonata, the audience will be led into a modern and refined vision of Capriccio no. 24, reworked by Szymanowski and enhanced with complex sound geometries and bold harmonies. The Premio’s connection with Spain - says Nicola Bruzzo - is destined to be strengthened: we are committed to developing new initiatives, not only in Madrid. Our aim is to identify, also in collaboration with the Italian Embassy, ​​the highest quality opportunities, especially in the context of the prize concerts of the 58th edition which, compared to the past, will have more of an international scope.” – concludes Bruzzo.

“The Premio Paganini still represents an excellent springboard for the careers of young and very talented violinists from all over the world. As the Italian Embassy in Madrid, we are very proud that the next competition announcement also includes prize concerts in Spain.” comments the Italian Ambassador to Madrid, Giuseppe Buccino Grimaldi.