Kazune Nemoto received the top prize in the cello section, while Guido Mariotto won for his double bass

The Triennale jurors perform on competing instruments. Left-right: Edoardo Zosi (violin), Diemut Poppen (viola), Henri Demarquette (cello) and Francesco Siragusa (double bass). Photo: Cristian Chiodelli

The Triennale jurors perform on competing instruments. Left-right: Edoardo Zosi (violin), Diemut Poppen (viola), Henri Demarquette (cello) and Francesco Siragusa (double bass). Photo: Cristian Chiodelli

The 16th Concorso Triennale Internazionale di Liuteria Antonio Stradivari has concluded with gold medals awarded in the cello and double bass categories. Japanese-born Kazune Nemoto, who now lives and works in Cremona, won gold in the cello section, while Mantua’s Guido Mariotto received the top prize for his double bass.

Taking place in Cremona, Italy, the competition received entries from 261 professional luthiers from 35 countries. A total of 280 instruments from 198 makers were admitted to the contest. This year’s jury comprised luthiers Ulrike Dederer, Carlo Chiesa, Joseph Grubaugh, Simeone Morassi and Yuri Pochekin, along with musicians Dan Zhu and Edoardo Zosi (violins), Diemut Poppen (viola), Henri Demarquette (cello) and Francesco Siragusa (double bass).

The gold medal-winning cello and double bass will be bought by the Fondazione Stradivari and enter the permanent collection of the Museo del Violino. All the competing instruments will be on display at the Museo del Violino until 10 October.

Awards

Gold

Cello: Kazune Nemoto

Double bass: Guido Mariotto

Silver

Violin: Piotr Pielaszek

Viola: Emilio Kusi Crabbé

Cello: Alessandro Peiretti

Double bass: Gabriele Pralea

Bronze

Violin: Marcello Bellei

Viola: Noémie Viaud

Cello: Marcin Krupa and Hayato Nagaishi

Special Awards

Simone Fernando Sacconi Award: Violin - Piotr Pielaszek

Walter Stauffer Award: Double Bass - Guido Mariotto 

Pierangelo Balzarini Prize: Cello - Hayato Nagaishi 

ALI Award: Violin - Akira Takahashi

Cremona Mondomusica Award: Kazune Nemoto and Guido Mariotto

Cologni Foundation Award: Cello - Kazune Nemoto

Giorgio Cè Award: Violin - Kang Soo Kyung

Piero Ferraroni Award: Cello - Im Dong Pil

Polish Union of Violin Makers Award: Violin - Marcello Bellei

Honorable mentions

Marianne Jost (violin)

Fabienne Gauchet (violin)

Adele Sbernini (violin)

Marcelo Cavanna (violin)

Piotr Pielaszek (viola)

Philippe Mahu (viola)

Marco Osio (viola)

Sebastian Ribes (cello)

Im Dong Pil (cello)