On 11 October 2023, during the ceremony held at the Quirinal Palace in Rome, President of the Italian Republic Sergio Mattarella awarded the Stauffer Foundation the “Presidente della Repubblica” Award.
Introduced in 1949, the “President of the Republic” Award (Premio “Presidente della Repubblica”) is one of the most prestigious Italian awards given by the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, the Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei and the Accademia Nazionale di San Luca to outstanding personalities and institutions in the spheres of music, arts and science.
For the year 2020, the Superintendent of the Accademia di Santa Cecilia, Michele Dall’Ongaro, in his award speech, defined the Stauffer Foundation as one of Italy’s leading institutions which supports higher music education, the promotion of musicological research and the teaching of traditional Cremonese violin making. He also emphasized the importance of the Stauffer Academy, established by the Foundation and aimed at providing maximum support to the artistic growth of young string instrumentalists from Italy and all over the world.
The ceremony saw the participation of Alessandro Tantardini, President of the Stauffer Foundation, Stefano Raffo, Secretary of the Foundation, and Angelica Suanno, Director of the Stauffer Academy.
“It is an honour to receive from President Mattarella this recognition, which rewards a work with roots far back in time, but still alive and fruitful. It also testifies to the extraordinary work of those who preceded me in this role and of the Fouding Maestros of the Academy, which allows us today to provide support to young talents, protagonists of the future of music, violin making and research,” stated Alessandro Tantardini.
The recognition confirms the important role that the Stauffer Foundation occupies among the Country’s cultural institutions, cultivating the excellence of higher music education throughout the world and offering all students admitted to the Stauffer Academy the privilege of studying with leading international Professors.
