There Perugia Classical Music Foundation Onlus was born in 2003 from the vision of Franco Buitoni, then President of the Amici della Musica, great animator of Umbrian musical life, with the aim of making music: producing it, spreading it, increasing knowledge and love.
THE Founding members of which it is composed, there are four: the Municipality of Perugia , the Cassa di Risparmio di Perugia Foundation , L’ “Friends of Music” Association of Perugia and the Association “Umbrian Music Festival” .
The geographical area of reference is the Umbria , a region where the ancient presence of large festivals and prestigious concert societies ensures a fertile ground of culture for the Foundation’s activities.
The founding principle under which the Perugia Classical Music Foundation Onlus it is inspired by the realization of its programs and projects is that of the most severe quality of the proposals: the languages vary, to the extent that the audiences to which it is addressed are different, but always in compliance with the highest quality parameters.
The Foundation, while acting as an interface between the public of Umbria and the national and international musical world, promotes, to the fullest extent possible, those local musical forces that give sure guarantees of respect for the fundamental principle of artistic quality.
The Foundation, internally, is made up of three departments: the Department “Friends of Music” , the Department “Umbrian Music Festival” and the project “Music to Grow” intended for schools of all kinds and levels.
There Perugia Classical Music Foundation deals with the Season of the Friends of Music from October to May , of the sacred music festival Umbrian Music Festival to September and all the activity of listening education with schools.
In its seventeen years of life, the Foundation He has made concerts with the participation of the most prestigious international orchestras and choirs and the most renowned and appreciated artists and conductors of the world music scene. They are remembered among all Claudio Abbado, Riccardo Muti, Martha Argerich, Daniel Harding, Antonio Pappano, Zubin Mehta, Andras Schiff, Maurizio Pollini .
The collaboration with the BBT Borletti-Buitoni Trust , which supports the career of the most promising young international artists, offers the opportunity to hear in our Region the new promises of the musical world, repeating a tradition, which Friends of Music of Perugia have consolidated since the beginning, dating back to 1946.
From the 2017-2018 season we have established a collaboration relationship with Brunello and Federica Cucinelli Foundation , in order to offer the public an ever richer and more varied musical offer.
The Roscini Padalino Award which offers young Umbrian musicians, through scholarships, the opportunity to improve their musical training.
More recently, always dedicated to young musicians, the San Lorenzo di Montenero competition aimed at the best students of the Perugia Conservatory.
During the Umbrian Music Festival , which, born in 1937, is the oldest Italian festival of sacred music, takes place every two years on “Francesco Siciliani” International Sacred Composition Competition sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Culture presided over by HE Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi. The competition, now in its fourth edition, has obtained an important international recognition with the participation of composers from all five continents.
The activity of listening education , which carries out diversified interventions from primary school children to high school, Music to Grow , has made 470 concerts with an attendance of 125,000 involving about 50 young Umbrian musicians.
For some years now the Foundation has activated a special project in collaboration with the Cassa di Risparmio di Perugia Foundation “Music of Hope” with concerts in particular places such as the hospital, the prison, and a program dedicated to people with memory deficits.
After the seismic events of 2016, the Foundation has done its utmost in concrete gestures to bring comfort to a disturbed community, coordinated events within the Crater Project of the Umbria Region: two editions of “Live Bells” (Valnerina and Val Castoriana), “Currents of the Nera” and in Norcia itself, the “Restanza” , concerts of the Umbrian Music Festival e Workshops in the schools of Norcia, Cascia and Preci .
For some years the Foundation has supported and collaborated with a new symphonic complex born in Umbria composed almost exclusively of young Umbrian musicians: the Perugia Chamber Orchestra. The Foundation is helping the Orchestra to grow not only by creating performances and concerts, but also by developing an entrepreneurial management model of the Orchestra itself.
The Foundation is associated with AIAM (Italian Association of Musical Activities) and is part of the AMUR Committee for the realization of common projects together with prestigious Italian concert associations.