Lombardy Region President A. Fontana: “Cremona Musica is the expression of a city that has successfully transformed its tradition into an international vocation.”
Ribbon-cutting for the three-day event—an international benchmark for producers, artists, and talent from around the globe. Over 450 exhibitors from 35 countries and more than 1,000 artists on the program.
Cremona, October 2, 2026 – Thirty-five nations represented, buyers from every continent, and musicians arriving from Japan, Germany, and Brazil—to name just a few—marked the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the twenty-second edition of the Cremona Musica Expo & Festival. The event opened this morning at CremonaFiere, driven by the same vocation that has distinguished this city for centuries: treating music not merely as a product, but as a universal language.
“Cremona Musica is the music fair in the music capital,” said Roberto Biloni, President of CremonaFiere, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony. This year, that statement carries extra weight: “Despite the storm that battered us on August 28th, today we are able to open our international fair. I thank the companies, the institutions, and my entire staff; without them—and without their meticulous, highly professional work—we could not have opened today. I am convinced that this music fair is the best way to get back on track.” Four hundred and fifty exhibitors filled the pavilions, and from the very first hours, the world-class violin making of *Mondomusica* was in dialogue with *Piano Experience*, the *Electric Sound Village*, and the four hundred musicians of the *Wind Festival*. Cremona is, once again, the world capital of music. “Our goal for the future is to attract more and more young people who come here out of passion for a specific instrument,” the president added, “only to discover the art of violin making, connect with traditional craftsmanship, try out a violin, and fall in love with it.” Cremona confirms itself as the place where Cremonese violin making—a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage—continues to speak to the world; a place where a master luthier and a young Brazilian guitarist might cross paths in the same corridor. It is this dimension—culture, artisanal expertise, and human connection—that Tourism Minister Gianmarco Mazzi highlighted in his remarks, describing a “program that showcases a region’s ability to combine culture, craftsmanship, enterprise, and international appeal,” said Mazzi, “transforming Italian excellence into value and opportunity.” Echoing this sentiment, Alessandra Pastorelli—Embassy Counsellor and Head of Office II (Oversight and Supervision of ICE)—highlighted the soft power perspective: “Culture—and with it, all our expertise—is our soft power; it can serve as a driving force to promote our production capabilities globally. Cremona can serve as a model to be showcased abroad.” In a video message, Lombardy Region President Attilio Fontana recognized that this edition represents something more than just the continuation of a trade fair: “Cremona Musica embodies a city that has successfully transformed its tradition into an international calling. Restarting by turning challenges into shared energy—that is the spirit in which I wish Cremona Musica the great success it deserves.” MEP Massimiliano Salini noted that, with the closure of the Frankfurt fair and the restructuring of major European cultural trade events, Cremona Musica occupies a space that transcends the purely commercial. “Here, music becomes the expression…”
“Here, music becomes arguably the most significant cultural event at the European level,” he said, identifying the event as a political signal for the entire Union: “Europe is in desperate need of something that can restore its leading role. And here, we see a revival of cultural tradition that is strategic rather than nostalgic.” Yet, above all, Cremona Musica represents a dialogue between generations and forms of expertise, as noted by Provincial President Roberto Mariani: “Cremona Musica is a place where tradition meets innovation—where the knowledge of our master violin makers engages with new instruments, new technologies, new markets, and new generations.” It is, above all, a meeting place for makers and players—for those who preserve ancient knowledge and those who interpret it in new forms. At the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Cremona’s mayor, Andrea Virgilio, chose his words carefully to describe what it means to safeguard a heritage without letting it stagnate. “Here, the great legacy of violin making meets the research and transformations of the music industry,” he declared. “The deepest value of this event lies in preserving ancient knowledge not as a static memory, but as a driver of innovation, connection, and the future.”
Beyond the exhibition halls, the city joins in with *Cremona Musica Downtown*, featuring concerts in public squares, theaters, and historic courtyards. Tomorrow evening, Saturday, October 3, the Cremona Musica Gala Concert will present the Abbiati Record Award and the Cremona Musica Awards to Giovanni Iannantuoni, Vilde Frang, and Michael Guttman. Technology plays a role through the Yamaha Disklavier, which connects Cremona to Italian conservatories in real time for remote concerts and masterclasses—proof that live music, born of human touch and shared spaces, now possesses the tools to bridge any distance.
Beyond the exhibition halls, the city joins in with *Cremona Musica Downtown*, featuring concerts in public squares, theaters, and historic courtyards. Tomorrow evening, Saturday, October 3, the Cremona Musica Gala Concert will present the Abbiati Record Award and the Cremona Musica Awards to Giovanni Iannantuoni, Vilde Frang, and Michael Guttman. Technology plays a role through the Yamaha Disklavier, which connects Cremona to Italian conservatories in real time for remote concerts and masterclasses—proof that live music, born of human touch and shared spaces, now possesses the tools to bridge any distance.
