Regulations
Premio Bonporti 2025

30thEdition
11th International Baroque Violin Competition

Rovereto (Italy)
October 16th– 19th 2025

President
Emilio Moreno (Spain)

Deadline
June 30th 2025

Primieramente che non dee questo modo di sonare stare soggetto a battuta, come ueggiamo usarsi ne i Madrigali moderni, i quali quantunque difficili si ageuolano per mezzo della battuta, portandola hor languida, hor veloce, e sostenendola etiandio in aria secondo i loro affetti, o senso delle parole.”

“First of all, this mode of playing must not be subject to the beat. We see this done in modern Madrigals, which, however difficult, are helped by means of the beat. At times it’s carried languidly, at others quickly. It’s even sustained in the air, in accordance with the “affetto”or meaning of the words.”

(G.Frescobaldi Il Primo libro di Toccate e Partite d’Intavolatura di Cimbalo, 1615)

Overview

The Premio Bonporti takes place as follows:

  • Admission of maximum 4 participants – (selection through audio-video material – see point 3. “Admission requirements”).
  • The 4 admitted candidates will participate in both live performances in Rovereto “(Da camera” and “In concerto”). After which, the prizes will be assigned – First, Second, Third and Fourth Prizes, and an Audience Prize:
  • “Da camera”: a programme of chamber music (1600c.-1750c.) (see point 5.2 “Programme”).
  • “In concerto” – two concertos for violin and orchestra (see point 5.3 “Programme”).

The Premio Bonporti will provide:

  • Cash prizes for the admitted candidates .
  • The winner (1st prize) will record a promotional DVD as the BONPORTI HIP (Historically Informed Performance) TESTIMONIAL in order to best represent and disseminate historical performance practice – Concerts
  • Scholarships for Harpsichord/Theorbo/Harp/Cello accompanists.
  • Accommodation for all participants (violinists and harpsichordists/theorbists/harpists/cellists).

See also Prizes and Grants and Accommodation.


2. The Jury

Emilio Moreno – President (Spain)
Odile Edouard (France)
François Fernandez (France)
Romano Vettori (Italy)


3. Admission requirements

The Competition is open to all violinists:

  • born after June 30th 1989
  • playing a baroque violin with the following characteristics:
    • all gut strings except the g one (should competitors wish to use a violin with a gut g string for the 17th century repertoire, they may)
    • no chin-rest
    • no shoulder-rest
    • period bow.
  • Competitors not satisfying all these requirements will not be admitted to the competition.
  • If there is a family relationships between a player and any member of the jury, the juror involved will abstain from voting that competitor.
  • If a player is, or has been, a pupil of any member of the jury, or has played in an ensemble directed by a member of the jury, the juror involved will abstain from voting that competitor.

4. Prizes and Grants

Prizes

  • First Prize
    • 1.000,00 EUR
    • DVD recording as “Bonporti HIP Testimonial ” – Concerts
  • Second Prize
    • 800,00 EUR
  • Third Prize
    • 650,00 EUR
  • Fourth Prize
    • 400,00 EUR
  • Audience Prize
    • 500,00 EUR

All prizes are indivisible. The Jury may decide not to assign the First Prize.

Prizes can only be awarded to candidates who participate in both sessions (“Da camera” and “In concerto”).

Grants

Each of the four accompanists of the admitted violinists will receive a scholarship of € 150,00.

All admitted participants (violinists and one continuo player) will be accommodated at the organiser’s expense from 15 to 19 October 2025 (five nights) (see point 11. “Accommodation”).


5. Programme

The Competition takes place in three stages: Admission, “Da camera”, “In concerto”.

For each stage, competitors will have to play the following programme:

5.1 Selection for admission

(deadline June 30th 2025) – Video

Four pieces:

  1. Francesco Antonio Bonporti (1672-1749) 
    From Sonate da Camera a Violino Solo op.7 (c. 1707):
    • Choice of 2 movements, accompanied either by Harpsichord/Theorbe/Harp Violoncello (or both).
  1. Johann Sebastian Bach  (1685-1750)
    From Sei Solo a Violino senza Basso accompagnato (ms, 1720):
    • Largo from the Sonata n.2  BWV 1005.
    • Gavotte en Rondeau from  the Partita n.3 BWV 1006.
  1. Jean Baptiste Senaillé (1787-1730)
    From Premier Livre de Sonates a Violon Seul (1710)
    • Choice of 2 movements (slow and fast) accompanied either by Harpsichord/Theorbo/Harp Violoncello (or both).

IMPORTANT

The accompanist and the accompanying instrument may be different from those of the live performances in Rovereto.

The video recording should allow the violinist to be observed from no more than about 2 metres away and to detect the total absence of a chin-rest, shoulder-rest or similar support. Before playing, the candidate must show the bow and the violin he/she will play. The violin should be shown front and back, horizontally and vertically.

The Premio Bonporti will announce by email and on the website www.premiobonporti.it the names of the four successful candidates by 15 July 2025.

The 4 admitted candidates will play in both sessions (“Da camera, e “In concerto”), after which the prizes will be awarded.

5.2 “Da camera”

  1. Francesco Antonio Bonporti – Concertino OR a Serenata chosen from Concertini, e Serenate op. 12 (c. 1736).
  2. Arcangelo Corelli – A sonata chosen from Sonatas op. 5 n. 1-6 with candidates’ own ornamentation.
  3. The free choice of a sonata by an Italian composer (c. 1600-1660).
  4. “Prima vista”: an extract of a short melody (about 1′ – it might be from a vocal aria) with the possibility of 5′ preliminary study without instrument given by the artistic direction (the candidate will have to demonstrate musical expressiveness and improvised ornamentation).

It will be especially welcome if the music of the period 1600-1660 will be performed with an ancient bow (short).

Each candidate must come with their own accompanist. This may be either a harpsichordist or theorbist or harpist or cellist (only one accompanist) (see also point 4. “Grants”).

The organisation will make available a replica of a period Italian harpsichord.

Diapason: A = 415 Hz

Temperaments:

  • 1600-1660 music: 1/4 comma meantone).
  • 1660-1750 music: (1/6 comma synt. Meantone – Not Vallotti or Vallotti/Young).

5.3 “In Concerto”

  1. F. A. Bonporti –  Concerto op. 11 n. 9 in E major from Concerti a quattro op. XI (c. 1735).
  2. Antonio Vivaldi – Concerto Per la Solennità della S. Lingua di San Antonio in Padua in D major RV 212

In the Concerts the candidates will be accompanied by the Bonporti Baroque Orchestra (BBO).


6. Scores

The scores may be downloaded from the Premio Bonporti website www.premiobonporti.it


7. Applications

Competitors must:

  • By June 30th 2025 fill out and send the application form
  • send via the same application form 5 files containing the following information:
    • an audio-video recording in which the candidate performs the admission programme (see point 5.1) (in MP4 or AVI format).
    • curriculum vitae (max 30 lines)(in free text format or Microsoft Word format (.doc).
    • an artistic photo (.jpg format min. 300 dpi).
    • scan of the registration fee receipt (in .jpg min. 300 dpi or .pdf format).
    • scan of the identity card or passport (in .jpg min. 300 dpi or .pdf format).

All the above-mentioned information and documents must be sent exclusively in electronic format, via the application form


8. Registration fee

A registration fee of 80,00 EUR per participant must be sent to the Competion Secretariat via bank transfer to the following account:

account holder: Accademia di Musica Antica – Piazza San Marco, 7 – 38068 Rovereto TN – Italy

bank name: Cassa Rurale di Rovereto
IBAN: IT47 G082 1020 8000 0003 0207 953
BIC code: CCRTIT2T57A

The registration fee will not be reimbursed in case of withdrawal.


9. Deadline

The deadline for the submission of the application files (see point 7.) and for the payment of the registration fee (see 8.) is
June 30th 2025
.


10. Schedule

The Competition will take place from 16 to 19 October 2025.

  • October 16th 2025: individual rehearsals
  • October 17th 2025: “Da Camera” Performance
  • October 18th 2025: Rehearsals with Bonporti Baroque Orchestra
  • October 19th 2025:
    • “In Concerto” Performance
    • Prize Giving Ceremony

All rounds are open to the public and will be held in the form of concerts.

All rounds of the competition will be fully video-recorded. The organisation reserves the right to publicly broadcast the recordings of the performances (or part thereof). It also reserves the right to make and distribute a promo-CD of the competition with all or part of the recorded material. By registering for the competition, the Competitors waive all rights regarding these recordings and broadcasts.


11. Accomodation

The organisation offers all admitted participants (violinists with their own harpsichordists/theorbist/harpist/cellist) free accommodation at the Youth Hostel in Rovereto from the evening of October 15th until the morning of October 20th, 2025 (five nights).

For information:
Ostello di Rovereto
Via delle Scuole 18
I – 38068 Rovereto TN

tel. +39.(0)464.486757 or mob. +39 342 7431378
or fax +39.(0)464.400959
info@ostellorovereto.it – www.ostellorovereto.it

Information about Rovereto and nearby towns and villages may be found on the following websites:

www.visittrentino.it
www.visitrovereto.it
www.apt.trento.it


12. Controversy

All participants accept these Regulations.

There is no appeal against the decisions of the Jury.
The organisation may decide to make minor changes to these regulations without prior notice.
The Rovereto Court of Law will be competent for any legal controversy.


13. Competition Secretariat

ACCADEMIA DI MUSICA ANTICA
Premio Bonporti

Palazzo Carpentari von Mittenberg
Piazza San Marco, 7
I – 38068 Rovereto TN

tel. +39.(0)464.013048
mob. +39.333.4813958
or fax +39.(0)464.013048

info@premiobonporti.it