Cremona as a European hub for chamber music: the Chamber Music Networking Event

On Thursday 29 October and Friday 30 October 2026, Cremona will welcome an international network of chamber music professionals. Le Dimore del Quartetto, Fondazione Stauffer, and Museo del Violino present the Chamber Music Networking Event: two days dedicated to dialogue, exchange, and the creation of new collaborations among musicians, institutions, cultural organisations, and industry professionals from across Europe.

The two-day event is part of the journey of MERITA, the European platform coordinated by the cultural enterprise Le Dimore del Quartetto and co-funded by the European Union under the Creative Europe programme.

Founded in 2021, MERITA has developed a European network comprising over 20 partners, 72 heritage sites, and 82 ensembles (string quartets and piano trios) that have created and presented 94 innovative musical projects through the platform. With more than 400 concerts scheduled between 2022 and 2029, MERITA aims to foster opportunities for connection and collaboration among young musicians, cultural organisations, heritage sites and audiences across Europe, strengthening the circulation, visibility and sustainability of next-generation chamber musicians through a modern, innovative ecosystem.

The choice of Cremona stems from the desire to bring the international chamber music community into dialogue with a city that has made music and violin making the beating heart of its identity. In this context, Cremona’s cultural heritage serves as the catalyst for gathering, sharing experiences, and building new partnerships.

Fondazione Stauffer and the Museo del Violino, benchmarks for advanced musical training, violin craftsmanship and cultural dissemination, join Le Dimore del Quartetto in this initiative, bridging the international scope of the platform with the expertise, history and heritage of the city.

The programme opens on the afternoon of 29 October in the Sala Maffei at the Chamber of Commerce with the panel ’Dialogue for a Sustainable European Music Ecosystem,’ a meeting to preview collaboration opportunities with the MERITA Platform, launch the new ’Antonio Stradivari’ International Triennial Competition of Stringed Instruments and present the initiatives of Fondazione Stauffer.

The day will continue at the Giovanni Arvedi Auditorium inside the Museo del Violino with the Concert and Annual Award Ceremony of Le Dimore del Quartetto, which in 2026 celebrates ten years of activity (2016–2026). The annual event brings together musicians, owners of historic houses, luthiers, cultural professionals, partners and supporters of chamber music. This year, it will also provide an opportunity to celebrate the people and relationships that have contributed to the growth of the network.

The two-day event will conclude on the morning of 30 October at Palazzo Stauffer (home of the Stauffer Academy) and Palazzo Raimondi (Department of Musicology and Cultural Heritage – University of Pavia) with a professional Chamber Music Industry Workshop dedicated to sector professionals. Through collaborative working sessions, the workshop will address shared needs and challenges while fostering new connections and partnerships across different organizations, expertise, and regions.

The Chamber Music Networking Event is part of a broader journey toward building a European network, where dialogue between organizations and professionals becomes a vehicle for sharing knowledge, developing projects, and supporting the growth of the music sector.

PARTICIPATION

The event is aimed at professionals working in the music, cultural and violin-making sectors, musicians, artistic directors, festivals, concert societies, foundations, academies, managers, representatives of heritage venues and other professionals interested in taking part in the exchange. All events are open to the public, upon reservation.

For further information and accreditation details visit here: www.ledimoredelquartetto.eu