Cremona, September 28, 2025 – The 2025 edition of the the world’s leading event dedicated to music and high-quality musical instruments, concluded with enormous success. Over 400 exhibitors from 35 countries—including Europe, the USA, Canada, Asia, and Australia—enlivened the three-day event, showcasing the event’s strong international appeal. The event was held in synergy and collaboration with local institutions: the Municipality, the Chamber of Commerce, the Province, and trade associations, as well as the Lombardy Region and the Italian Trade Agency (ICE), along with Libera Artigiani di Crema and the Organ Building District.
Cremona Musica was a great opportunity to showcase the richness and variety of musical instruments: from classical violins to electric guitars, including the latest technological innovations applied to violin making,” commented Roberto Biloni, president of CremonaFiere. “A dialogue between past and future that translates into a cultural offering capable of captivating experts, enthusiasts, and the new generations. Promoting the artisanal tradition—which has deep roots in Cremona—and connecting it with the most advanced technologies means opening the fair to an increasingly broad and curious audience, making it a true bridge between history and innovation. The journey of many young people, who begin with an interest in electric sound and gradually move towards classical music, highlights the fair’s ability to stimulate curiosity and foster a cross-disciplinary musical education.”
The festival hosted a diverse and engaging program, with over 200 events, including concerts, exhibitions, masterclasses, competitions, conferences, and award ceremonies. Among the most popular initiatives was the “Pagine di Rock” exhibition, which recounted the epic saga of major international concerts through historic contracts, album covers, posters, and memorabilia, culminating in the tragic death of John Lennon. The debut of Densoon, a revolutionary bassoon that blends acoustic tradition with the potential of electronics and MIDI, opening new expressive frontiers far beyond classical music, also attracted considerable attention. The innovative Cremona Gypsy Jazz Meeting, which paid homage to Django Reinhardt and explored the cultural and musical impact of this unique genre, born from the fusion of African-American jazz and European traditions, also attracted considerable attention.
“It’s not just a fair: it’s a living laboratory of musical culture, where the exhibition intertwines with experiences, encounters, and discoveries. The competitions and awards ceremonies aren’t mere celebrations, but concrete tools to promote talent and stimulate artistic growth. Over the past few days, we’ve welcomed professionals, maestros, and enthusiasts from every corner of the world, with an extraordinary turnout of young people, who are the driving force and the future of the sector,” stated CremonaFiere General Manager Massimo De Bellis. “We wanted to pay homage to the greats of music, true role models for the new generations, but also to give space and visibility to emerging talent, because we firmly believe that the future is built by enhancing the present.”
Ample space was dedicated to the various events that enriched the event: Mondo Musica brought together the finest master luthiers from around the world, celebrating the excellence of artisanal violin making. The Acoustic Guitar Village offered a lively format featuring guitars, mandolins, ukuleles, and charangos, alongside masterclasses, historical exhibitions, concerts, and competitions for young talents. Piano Experience brought together professional and amateur pianists, offering a space dedicated to the latest innovations in the world of keyboard instruments, with the PianoLink International Amateurs Competition showcasing amateur talent. Cremona Winds hosted the third edition of the Cremona Band Festival, with over 500 musicians and a rich program of performances and entertainment. The Accordion Show celebrated the accordion as a symbol of popular culture, while the Electric Sound Village explored electric sound with exhibitions, meetings, and concerts dedicated to the instruments that have revolutionized music over the past 70 years. Finally, the Crema Organ Association confirmed its presence with concerts throughout the area, bringing to the fair a national and international excellence that continues to distinguish Cremona on the global music scene.
Among the most anticipated events was the award ceremony for the sixth edition of the Abbiati Record Prize, promoted by the National Association of Music Critics, chaired by Andrea Estero. The prize, which annually selects the best recordings, announced two winners for each category, chosen from recordings released between 2024 and 2025. Winners in attendance included composer Stefano Gervasoni, Alpha label director Giovanni Antonini, soprano Rosa Feola, who also performed on stage, pianist Domenico Camera, record producers Giovanni Mazzucchelli and Silvia Pietrosanti, Klangforum Wien director Paul Kainrath, Laurent Brunner for the Chateau de Versailles label, and Audrey Van Den Broucke for Atma Classique.
Alongside the Abbiati Prize, the prestigious Cremona Musica Awards were also presented, honoring individuals and institutions that have distinguished themselves for their contributions to music and its dissemination. Among the highlights were the presentation of the Award to Midori, in the “String Performance” category; Francesco Filidei, in the “Composition” category; and the Imola Piano Academy – Franco Scala, in the “Project” category. and the awarding of the “A Life for the Piano” prize to Maestro Bruno Canino, a heartfelt tribute to a pivotal figure in Italian music. “We care about honoring figures who have a historic significance in Italian musical life,” commented Roberto Prosseda, artistic coordinator of Cremona Musica. “Canino is an example of longevity and musical passion, but also of openness: he has played with over a hundred artists; he is a piece of history and, at the same time, a model of humility and irony. He never lets his great culture weigh on him, and for this very reason he is even more admired.”
