"Every single time that I entered into that hall, when the lights went down and the speaker made the announcement, when the silence reigned everywhere and the audience turned to look the entrance of the Jury, every single time that this happened, it made me so excited.
I return home, after 10 days sitting in the Jury of the Busoni International Piano Competition, with my heart full of emotions: I’ve learned a lot, made new friends within the Jury and heard some very talented pianists, everyone unique in his/ her determination. I’ve heard all of them carefully and responsibly, giving to their talent and their preparation all my strength and attention, forgetting my troubles, changes of mood and- most important- forgetting what I wanted or I expected to hear from them. I’ve made the most difficult job- the job of judging- hearing every note, every nuance, every intention of every single contestant in every single round, and at the end of the Competition I discovered that I wrote 140 pages of comments -140!
I’m deeply grateful to Prof. Peter Paul Kainrath, the Artistic Director of the Competition, for this unforgettable opportunity, and my huge congratulations go to all the board of the Competition for the perfect organisation.
I wish good luck to all the 27 young pianists: to the 7 Prize Winners I wish them to have the courage to continue their path- always supported by the humility and avoiding the complacency- with an important achievement in their wallet and more experience to use in the life; and to all the others young pianists I deeply wish them to take this moment as a moment of reflection, to let their questions live into their heart without rushing in researching answers, to have the strength to return soon to the piano with determination, and with the untouchable trust in time, in their talent and in their dreams." (Federico Colli)

© PHOTOS BY TIBERIO SORVILLO 

The Ferruccio Busoni International Piano Competition, launched on 12 September 1949, is indisputably one of the most enduring and influential events on today’s international music scene.
During the years, it captured the attention of the contemporary music scene, due in part to the presence of an extraordinary Honorary Committee, which included Claudio Arrau, Wilhelm Backhaus, Alfred Cortot, Walther Gieseking, Dinu Lipatti, Arthur Rubinstein and Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli.
Among the many excellent winners there are Jörg Demus, Martha Argerich, Louis Lortie and Lilya Zilberstein.
In its history, the Competition has seen the presence of many famous jury members: Nikita Magaloff, Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli, Carlo Maria Giulini, Piero Rattalino, Sergio Perticaroli, Jerome Rose, Maria Tipo, Bruno Canino, Paul Badura-Skoda, Joaquín Soriano, Gerhard Oppitz, Marcello Abbado, François-Joël Thiollier, Alexander Lonquich, Andrzej Jasinsky, Eliso Virsaladze, Boris Petrushansky, Lazar Berman, Roman Vlad, John O’Connor and Karl Heinz Kämmerling.