Bologna città della musica
The Musical bodies and associations of Bologna

• -> the musical bodies and associations of bologna
• -> competitions
• -> festivals
• -> cultural associations and centres
• -> seasons
• -> clubs with musical events
• -> schools and training centres

The Zecchino d’Oro (The Golden Sequin)
At the beginning of the Sixties, the Convento Antoniano dei Frati Minori (Antonine Friars Monastery) of Bologna welcomed the Zecchino d’Oro [The origin of the name of this festival is connected to the story of Pinocchio, the famous puppet created in 1881 by Collodi, which inspires the script of the competition: one of the coins of the tree planted by Pinocchio is given to the child who wins the singing competition. ], an international festival with the objective of spurring the production and promoting the diffusion of children’s songs. The Zecchino d’Oro is, straight from the beginning, not only the television appointment of the year that children and families most look forward to, but also a real fad. Since 1963, when it was founded by Mariele Ventre, great musician and teacher of Bologna, the Piccolo Coro dell’Antoniano (Young Antonine Choir) has been accompanying soloists of the Zecchino d’Oro and it is the main protagonist of the event. After the death of Mrs. Ventre (1995), the choir added to its name the one of its creator, becoming the Piccolo Coro “Mariele Ventre” dell’Antoniano (Young Antonine “Mariele Ventre” Choir). Every year the event combines the message of kindness and brotherhood, which is always present in its songs, with the launching of a fund raising campaign for a concrete solidarity initiative in favour of children in one of the nations of the developing areas of the world: the “Flower of Solidarity” of the Zecchino d’Oro.
In 2003, the Young Choir of Bologna has been officially appointed UNICEF ambassador in the world “because through the communicative force and the universal language of music and of children’s singing, it might transmit a message of peace and hope to other children, without any national, religious, sexual, linguistic or racial discrimination”.

The International Composition Competition “2 Agosto”(2nd of August)
The Competition was established in 1994 by the Association of the families of the victims of the massacre at Bologna train Station of 2nd of August 1980 [On the 2nd of August 1980 a bomb exploded in the waiting lounge of the station of Bologna, causing 85 dead and 200 wounded: after more than 25 years the responsibilities of that terrorist attack have not yet been established. The Association intends to “obtain due justice with all possible initiatives” (art. 3 of the Articles of Association).], thanks to the efforts of the then president Torquato Secci, whose activity was then continued with unflagging zeal by the current president Paolo Bolognesi. The aim of the Competition is to establish a connection between the commemoration of the tragic event that hit the city 26 years ago and the new generations.

The connection is based on a drastic change of direction in the celebration of the memory: from the negativity of the terrorist act to the positiveness of artistic creation. If terrorism tried to create fear and panic, disconcertment and grief, then it was necessary to answer, evoking and suggesting opposite feelings, in a perspective intentionally projected towards a more distant future.

For such a universal message, music becomes the most appropriate language, as it doesn’t require translations, it doesn’t know frontiers, it is a heritage of the whole world, and everybody can benefit from it without having to possess specific knowledge. It isn’t a repertoire of classical pieces, or commemorative works, but a renewal of the artistic action, that can keep memory alive through a constant and new spur, addressed especially to new generations. On this basis there arose the explicit requirement, then transformed into a clear methodological indication, of creating a composition competition, that would not follow the dictates of this or that academy, but cover different fields, even outside the western tradition.

The Competition, which has a strong moral connotation based on the respect of the victims’ memory, has had famous presidents and jury members, such as Riccardo Muti, Ennio Morricone, Riccardo Chailly, Semyon Bychkov, Eliot Fisk and Federico Mondelci.