Ezio Bosso International Music Performance Prize

A competition in memory of Ezio Bosso

The Ezio Bosso International Music Performance Prize is an annual music competition held in Sannicandro di Bari, in the province of Bari, Apulia. The event is dedicated to the memory of Ezio Bosso (Turin, 1971 - Bologna, 2020), a pianist, conductor, and composer who transformed music into a universal language capable of uniting people, fostering listening, and building connections. The prize carries on his artistic and human legacy, promoting musical performance as a shared experience that transcends age and nationality.

Competition sections

Organized by the Accademia delle Arti e delle Scienze Filosofiche di Bari, the competition is divided into five sections, each further split into age-based categories (for ensembles, the age is determined by the arithmetic mean of the members' ages):

• Solo performance: piano, strings, winds, guitar, percussion, and voice;
• Piano duo (four-hand piano);
• Chamber music, from duos up to octets;
• Orchestral ensembles;
• Choral ensembles.

Auditions take place in the evocative Sala delle Scuderie of the Castello Normanno-Svevo, one of the landmarks of Sannicandro di Bari's historic center, and culminate in a final concert and award ceremony.

Jury and awards

The judging panel is composed of renowned figures from the musical world: concert performers and music professors from various countries, ensuring a qualified and truly international assessment. The title of absolute winner is reserved for those who score at least 98/100, while other participants receive diplomas of merit or participation based on their evaluation. The best performers are awarded prizes, scholarships, concert opportunities, and invitations to festivals, providing significant visibility for young artists.

A key event for Apulia

Within the cultural landscape of the Municipality of Sannicandro di Bari and the entire Bari Metropolitan City, the Ezio Bosso Prize is a benchmark for high-level musical training in Apulia. It attracts performers from across Italy and abroad, celebrating the historical and artistic heritage of the Norman-Swabian castle in the name of a great musician.