Today, in the austere Sala Giunta Vecchia of the Genoa City Council, the new Premio Paganini Committee, chaired by Giovanni Panebianco, held its inaugural meeting.

The meeting was attended by Claudio Orazi, Superintendent of the Carlo Felice Theatre, Elvira Bonfanti from Palazzo Ducale - Fondazione per la Cultura, Roberto Tagliamacco, Director of the Conservatorio "Niccolò Paganini", Nicola Costa, President of the "Associazione Giovine Orchestra Genovese" and Michele Trenti, President of the Association "Amici di Paganini", who, for the first time, joined the committee. Among the items on the agenda, the presentation of the strategic and programmatic lines for the re-launch of the Prize, the examination of the new Regulations approved by the City Council on April 21st and the appointment of the new Artistic Director.

At the beginning, President Panebianco read out a message of good wishes from Niccolò Paganini, a direct descendant of the famous Genoese violinist. President Panebianco said: "Today is a very important day for the Premio Paganini. We will have the honour and pleasure of having in our team Maestro Nazzareno Carusi, who has confirmed his acceptance of the position of new Artistic Director, proposing Maestro Salvatore Accardo as President of the International Jury. This morning there was a meeting with Maestro Accardo with Mayor Bucci and Councillor Grosso.”

Also present Francesco Micheli, a great patron and lover of music and art, and current President of Ferrara Musica, whom President Panebianco proposed to join the Committee. “Carusi boasts an excellent artistic and musical curriculum and currently is on the Board of La Scala in Milan. Accardo needs no introduction, I just want to remind you that in 1958 he was the first overall winner of the Paganini Prize and he is an honorary citizen of Genoa. I am also very pleased because the City Council has recently approved the new Rules of the Competition, which introduce important innovations that will allow the Competition to be relaunched and modernised, thanks also to initiatives and collateral events structured to promote Paganini and Genoa in Italy and worldwide” concluded President Panebianco.