Bologna supports

The tool of conventions

The Comune di Bologna (Municipality of Bologna), through the tool of conventions, supports the activities of the most local important operators in the music sector.

Eighteen agreements are active in 2022, eight with associations that have a prevalent activity in classical music or musicals, four in jazz, three in rock and three in electronic and avantgarde music.

The Accademia Filarmonica (the Philharmonic Academy), established in 1666, has always been a point of reference in the cultural life of the city and represents one of the most prestigious institutions of European musical culture; it combines the traditional concert offer of chamber music with the activities of high professional masters for young musicians, the dissemination of musical culture in schools and the recovery of its priceless archival and book heritage; it keeps a careful eye on research through the project Musica contemporanea (Contemporary Music project) - world-premiere concerts, also by commissioning new works to the biggest composers of the international scene -  and on training researchers in the field of music education with two-year specialization courses; one of the most important projects is represented by the Orchestra Mozart , one of the most prestigious orchestras on the international scene.

The Bologna Festival Onlus association has been organizing since 1981 symphonic and chamber concerts, festivals and events, selecting its artists from the world of great international concertism; specifically, it realizes, as part of the homonymous festival, three prestigious festivals : Grandi interpreti, (Great performers) dedicated to the classical-romantic repertoire, Talenti (Talents), dedicated to the new generations of concert performers and Il Nuovo l'Antico (the Ancient and the New), dedicated to the repertoire of ancient and contemporary music as well ; it also promotes the events: Note sul Registro (Notes on the Register) a training project for listening to classical music for school audiences and Baby Bofè, a music festival aimed at children.

Musica Insieme was born as an association in 1986, became a Foundation in 2002, and is one of the most important concert organizations in Italy; since the beginning of its activity it has been organizing the Festival I Concerti di Musica Insieme, hosted at the Teatro Comunale and since 2003 at the Teatro Manzoni; the festival hosts the greatest national and international classical music performers, placing themselves in the avant-garde European music scene for quality and artistic choices; Musica Insieme has been promoting various events aimed at disseminating musical culture also in favor of youngers; since 1997 it has been organizing the Musica Insieme in Ateneo Festival, in collaboration with the University of Bologna, the Festival MICO - Musica Insieme Contemporanea, dedicated to interpreters and authors of today, and important Festivals in collaboration with the Teatro Comunale Foundation, the Lezioni di Piano (Piano Lessons), involving great masters of our time and Bologna Modern, a festival dedicated to contemporary music. 

The Inedita per la cultura association carries out an intense activity that ranges from cultured, classical and jazz music, to journalism, from conferences and topical events to contemporary art exhibitions; from 1989 to 2012, he has organized the International Festival of Santo Stefano, a refined summer music festival, designed to contribute to the protection of the monumental complex of the Basilica of Santo Stefano; since 2013, it has been organizing the Pianofortissimo Festival, a natural evolution of the previous festival and a sought-after musical festival that annually draws the best of international concerts to Bologna; in relation to the festival, it has established a close collaboration with the Libraries of the Municipality especially with the Archiginnasio Librar: its courtyard, during the summer period, is the perfect stage of most of the scheduled concerts.

The Pierrot Lunaire association was created with the aim of promoting and disseminating all forms of contemporary musical research, particularly in unconventional fields, freely using the materials offered by different musical traditions. In 2011 the Association founded, at the San Leonardo Theater complex in Bologna, a Music Research Center - one of the first experimental centers to be supported by public contributions - a national reference in the musicological field for artists, the public and operators: here it finds space the work of fundamental authors in understanding the relationship between the historical 20th century and the dynamics of contemporaneity. The program is accompanied by the AngelicA contemporary music festival, seminars, workshops, conferences and the activity of Piccolo Coro Angelico (Small Angelic Choir) reserved for children. The association commissions works, publishes essays and produces CDs with the I dischi di AngelicA label.

Since its foundation, in 1993, the Bernstein School of Musical Theater / BSMT has been preparing artists in singing, acting and dance according to the Anglo-Saxon model of Triple Threat Performer, representing, in its field, a national reference point; since 2013 it has bveen organizing the Summer Musical Festival, the first ever festival in Italy entirely dedicated to the musical genre.

The Conoscere la musica association founded in 1995 promotes and organizes concerts and classical music events also to enhance the talent of young performers; through the collaboration with important international music competitions, it supports public awareness-raising events and training initiatives with the aim of bringing young generations closer to cultured music; it intends to enhance historic residences and artistic treasures of Bologna Metropolitan City, organizing concerts in often little known places but representing particular historical and architectural interest.

The Perséphone association has been carrying out research, promotion and dissemination activities in the field of musical theater since 2001;  the activity has been taking place since 2010 at the Piccolo teatro del Baraccano, and is completed with a program of educational activities in the field of music and theater aimed at adults and children and with a production of performances focused on the transversal nature of languages.

Since 2015, the Senzaspine association has been managing the space called Mercato Sonato, where music, theater, arts and their respective experiments meet and compare, creating new social and expressive relationships; through the Orchestra Senzaspine, made up of musicians under 35, it also performs concerts in other places in the city in collaboration with various operators and institutions in the area; in order to disseminate the culture of classical music, it carries out workshops and music lessons also aimed at school-age children, with a special view to the education of the audience.

The Bologna in Jazz association has been offering an uninterrupted series of live jazz concerts for more than thirty years. The large Cantina Bentivoglio is the space where generations of young jazz musicians have been trained and artistically grown alongside the best of the world jazz tradition, always present in festivals of great cultural and artistic depth. Alongside the musical proposal, the Cantina has always been careful to enhance the food and wine experience, a fundamental legacy of the city's identity tradition and an essential cultural experience. The live music activity takes place in the historic venue from September to June whereas, in the summer months, it is part of the open-air Salotto del Jazz event.

In 2006, the association Bologna in musica has refounded the organization of the Festival Jazz di Bologna, a historic musical event born in 1959 and ended in 1976, the progenitor of the most famous jazz festivals of the following thirty years; the Bologna Jazz Festival promotes an international musical tradition that is particularly lively and followed in the city, and has confirmed itself, over the years, as one of the most interesting Italian festivals and one of the most appreciated by the public, attracting established international artists alternating to promising young stars; moreover it has given life to original and interesting collaborations with prestigious institutions of the city such as the Music Museum, the Martini Conservatory and the Cineteca Foundation.

The eclectic music programme of the Bravo Caffè, historic live club and restaurant in via Mascarella, features above all jazz and pop artists, but also popular Italian, folk and ethnic musicicians, in a perfect balance between international and local stars. The live music activity organized by the Caffè del Sole association takes place inside the venue from September to June and is part of the open-air Salotto del Jazz event in the summer months.