The Bottesini Competition was founded in 1989 on the initiative of Maestro Franco Petracchi and represents the most important competition for double bass players from all over the world, who see in Giovanni Bottesini the most important double bass player in history and the one who, through his compositions and his performing skills, has given the double bass the dignity of a solo instrument. Winning the Bottesini Competition, therefore, means becoming part of a small group of musicians who have been able to link their name to that of Maestro Cremasco. The particularly demanding programme proposed means that only the best young people can take part in the competition. From 1989 to 2019, 7 editions have been held, which have seen young people win who today play key roles in the best orchestras at the international level.

In 2017 the Associazione Bottesini, with the collaboration of the Municipality of Crema, the Fondazione San Domenico and many supporters, relaunched this great project in the conviction that the enhancement of the figure of Giovanni Bottesini is of fundamental importance for the territory. The 2019 edition was particularly rich in significance because it was the 30th anniversary of the birth of the Bottesini Competition and the 30th anniversary of the death of Dr Bruno Manenti who, thanks to his decisive support, made it possible to launch this project. The double bass cannot but be linked to a broader discourse, that of Cremonese violin making. Hence a strong link with important Cremonese organisations such as the Fondazione Comunitaria della Provincia di Cremona, the Fondazione Walter Stauffer, the Chamber of Commerce of Cremona and the Teatro Ponchielli.

In 2021 and 2022, on the occasion of the celebration of Bottesini’s birth, the Associazione Bottesini has organized a series of events dedicated to him, including concerts, theatrical performances, the VIII edition of the Competition, the restoration of the bust of the Maestro, as well as exhibitions and masterclasses dedicated to the double bass.

Now we are racing at a full gallop towards the 2024 edition.