The call for applications for the 31st Premio Bonporti, the 14th edition of the International Competition for Ensembles on Period Instruments, is now online. It will be held in Rovereto from October 22nd to 25th, 2026.
The Bonporti returns with good news: this year, it aims to encourage groups to perform vocal- instrumental music, and in particular to promote the vocal music of Francesco Antonio Bonporti. Primarily known for his wonderful music for string instruments, the musician from Trento also wrote the fascinating Mottetti opera III (1702) for soprano/sopranista, strings, and basso continuo. Ensembles will have to perform one of these motets in Rovereto.
The President of the Jury will be Alfredo Bernardini, a very well known Italian oboist and conductor, who teaches at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. He will be joined by the famous Italian mezzo-soprano Gloria Banditelli, also appreciated as an interpreter and teacher of the baroque repertoire; the violinist Mechthild Karkow (Germany), a professor at the Hochschule für Künste in Bremen and a very active soloist and conductor; the acclaimed harpsichordist Takashi Watanabe (Japan); and Romano Vettori, musicologist and artistic director of the Accademia di Musica Antica in Rovereto and founder of Premio Bonporti.
The competition consists of three phases:
1. Selection for admission of a maximum of three groups (4 to 6 performers) by submitting audio-video material (deadline June 30, 2026).
2. Live performance in Rovereto of a vocal-instrumental program “Da Chiesa” (Church Music) in an 18th-century church.
3. Live performance in Rovereto of a vocal-instrumental program “Da Camera” (Chamber Music) in an 18th-century palace.
The overall goal of the Premio Bonporti is to enhance the creative aspects of historical music, encourage ornamental improvisation, and allow music to resonate in its historical acoustic environment.
Five cash prizes are available, including those from the audience in presence and online, as well as scholarships for a stay in Rovereto. The winning group will record a promotional DVD at historically significant locations in the region: the “Bonporti HIP (Historically Informed Performance) Testimonial,” a testimony and tool for disseminating good historical musical practice. The Premio Bonporti will send it to major international festivals and organizations dedicated to early music.
Registration deadline: June 30, 2026.
Announcement of the three admitted groups: July 15, 2026.
The call for applications is available at www.premiobonporti.it
Info:
