THE 14th EDITION OF THE CANTELLI AWARD ANNOUNCED

The “Guido Cantelli” International Conducting Competition will return from October 1 to 4, 2026, celebrating its 14th edition in a particularly meaningful year for its history: 2026 will mark seventy years since the passing of the great Italian conductor, in whose memory the Prize is dedicated.

The competition will take place on the following dates: from October 1 to 3, 2026, the preliminary and semifinal rounds will be hosted at the Auditorium Fondazione Cariplo in Milan, while the final is scheduled for October 4, 2026, at the Teatro Coccia in Novara. For the second consecutive edition, the contestants will compete by conducting the Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano, partner of the Award.

The jury for the 14th edition will include internationally renowned artistic and cultural figures from seven countries across three continents, representing some of the world’s most prestigious musical institutions. Donato Renzetti, winner of the Cantelli Prize in 1980 and chair of the jury in the 2020 edition, will serve as President. Joining him will be Roanna Gibson (Concerts Director of the London Philharmonic Orchestra), Didier de Cottignies (Artistic Manager of the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo), Riccardo Frizza (Artistic Advisor of the Cantelli Prize and Principal conductor of the Hungarian Radio Symphony Orchestra), Patrick Fournillier (Music Director of Opera Poznań), Cristina Rocca (Vice President of Artistic Planning of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra), Corrado Rovaris (Music Director of Opera Philadelphia), and Ryuichiro Sonoda (Artistic Director of the Fujisawa City Opera and Principal Conductor of the Pacific Philharmonia Tokyo).

All details regarding the participation procedures for the 14th edition will be announced in autumn 2025.

July 24, 2025