Fondazione Stauffer and ALAGO Art & Strings GmbH: new collaboration in support of young talented musicians

The Fondazione Stauffer in Cremona and ALAGO Art & Strings GmbH, a German company that brings together the owners of precious historical string instruments and exceptionally talented musicians, have signed a new collaboration. Thanks to this partnership, the precious Stradivari “Auer Benvenuti” Cremona 1699 violin will be entrusted to Giuseppe Gibboni, a young winner of the Paganini Competition in Genoa in 2021 and alumnus of the Accademia Stauffer.

The common goal of the partnership between the Cremona academy and ALAGO Art & Strings GmbH is to bring together young musicians of proven talent and patrons who own important historical instruments, in order to offer extraordinary and exceptional opportunities for the instrumentalists’ artistic growth. In this sense, ALAGO Art & Strings GmbH demonstrates its expertise in the curatorship of loans of exceptional string instruments, while the Fondazione Stauffer aims to provide support to its most talented and successful students and alumni.

The protagonist of the first phase of this collaboration is Giuseppe Gibboni, a former student of Maestro Salvatore Accardo at the Accademia Stauffer, who will have the opportunity to receive on a long-term loan an extraordinary instrument, the Stradivari “Auer Benvenuti” 1699 violin, owned by a German foundation.

The 21-year-old violinist is considered one of the most promising talents of his generation: winner of the prestigious Paganini Competition in Genoa in 2021, one of the most important violin competitions in the world, he is already enjoying an international career, which will soon see him on extensive tours in numerous countries in Europe, the United States and Asia. For Salvatore Accardo, the legend of the Italian violin school, the young virtuoso is “one of the most extraordinary talents”, with “perfect intonation, an amazing technique in all its aspects, a fascinating sound and a sincere musicality”.

The selected instrument, created by Antonio Stradivari in 1699 and famous for its rare sonority and extraordinary projection, takes its epithet from the names of two great violinists of the past who played it – Leopold Auer and Joseph Benvenuti.

“The Stradivari 1699 “Auer, Benvenuti” is an extraordinary instrument for its sound but also for its aesthetic beauty. Every day I play it, I discover and learn new things, – says Giuseppe Gibboni. – Playing a Stradivarius is the dream of every violinist – and as an Italian I feel all the more honored. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to the owner of the instrument for this opportunity, as well as to thank Alago and the Fondazione Stauffer for involving me in this collaboration. I am proud to have studied at the academy such as Stauffer, which is so sensible and attentive to young musicians.”

With the launch of this collaboration, the Fondazione Stauffer continues to pursue its mission to provide maximum support to talented young string players, guaranteeing them the opportunity to perform with exceptional string instruments and facilitating their professional growth.