Borletti-Buitoni Trust
We are so honoured to receive this recognition thanks to Ilaria’s enlightened sensitivity and vision. We know how much Franco did for music and how he loved it. It will be a special pleasure for us to honour Franco’s passion for chamber music as we continue to promote and encourage it in Italy and throughout the world.
Simone Gramaglia, Quartetto di Cremona
The 2019 Franco Buitoni Award was given to the Quartetto di Cremona. The award enabled the quartet to record Italian Postcards, an album of chamber works inspired by the beauty of Italy, as well as to establish a fund to send Italian luthiers to Albania to provide free assessments, reports and adjustments to instruments and bows for the young musicians that the Quartet teach as part of an ongoing Italian Institute of Culture initiative at the University of Arts in Tirana.
At a ceremony in Villa Necchi, Milan on 16 April 2019, Ilaria Borletti Buitoni marked the award by presenting the Quartet with a specially-commissioned glass sculpture, entitled Suono, made by Venice-based artist Ritsue Mishima, and given by Franco’s niece and nephew, Benedetta and Giovanni Buitoni, in special memory of their uncle.
Benedetta Buitoni, Paolo Andreoli, Ilaria Borletti Buitoni, Cristiano Gualco, Simone Gramaglia, Giovanni Scaglione and Giovanni Buitoni
Photo: Valeria Raffaele
I decided to create this award in memory of Franco who loved music so much and who founded BBT with me in 2002. Lieder and chamber music were his special passion and something he also promoted in his role as chairman of Amici della Musica in his home town of Perugia. So I wanted to focus on our country for this second award – with Italian musicians who promote and encourage chamber music in Italy and throughout the world. I very much admire Quartetto di Cremona and all they do. They have developed a wonderful reputation worldwide since 2005 when we awarded them a BBT Fellowship.
Ilaria Borletti Buitoni
Read the press release here
More information about Quartetto di Cremona can be found here: https://www.quartettodicremona.com/