by Silvia Eccher
Less than a year after its official launch, The String Circle, an innovative project devised by Le Dimore del Quartetto in collaboration with the Fondazione Museo del Violino Antonio Stradivari in Cremona, obtains the patronage of the Michelangelo Foundation. A new important recognition that joins the fundamental support of the Fondazione Cologni consecrating the quality of the international network and the validity of this new activity for the development of high craftsmanship and chamber music in a circular economy.
The Michelangelo Foundation for Creativity and Craftsmanship, founded by Johann Rupert and Franco Cologni, is an international non-profit organisation whose aim is to preserve and enhance the crafts of art and creativity by supporting all those activities that produce fine craftsmanship and, at the same time, encouraging the work of talented young artists and collaborations of excellence all over the world.
The Michelangelo Foundation supports artisans who excel in their art for authenticity, expertise, craftsmanship, creativity, innovation, interpretation, originality and talent.
The idea behind The String Circle is to connect the excellence of the luthier’s art to the new and promising generation of musicians by mapping the best craft workshops around the world. The project stems from the twofold need, on the one hand, to valorise the craft of the master luthier, and in this way intercept a specific audience of insiders, and on the other hand, to give young musicians the opportunity to have high quality instruments thanks to an exchange that enriches both figures involved – that of the luthier and that of the musician – favouring both their professional and artistic growth as well as their personal growth.
This patronage therefore marks the start of a collaboration between two distinct realities that are united in their intention to enhance and promote art and culture with transformative and integrated projects.
The String Circle will also be part of the new European platform MERITA – where chamber music, cultural hERItage and TAlent meet co-financed by the European Union, which aims at the mobility of selected young string quartets and the enhancement of Europe’s cultural heritage and sees the participation of 17 cultural institutions from 12 different countries.
The String Circle, the first network that enhances fine craftsmanship and supports the careers of young musicians in a circular economy, is not yet a year old, but is already running.
