The 3rd edition of the International Contest Instruments of Peace for young orchestral composers is to be inspired by phrases pronounced by three Nobel Peace Prize winners: Barack Obama, Lech Walesa and Aung San Suu Kyi.
The bi-annual competition, organized by the Foundation Opera Campana dei Caduti (Bell for the Fallen) of Rovereto (Trentino-Alto Adige) is open to composers of all nationalities who have not reached 40 years of age by the 30 April 2012. The works must have a length of between 8 and 12 minutes and never have been performed before. The texts, for a soprano voice, will be based on the words chosen from key speeches pronounced by the three Nobels. Winners of the 1 st and 2 nd editions were Sicilian composer Virginia Guastella (2008) and Andrea Portera from Tuscany (2010).
The great Peace Bell of Rovereto, Maria Dolens, is the largest ringing bell in the world. It was first cast in Trento in 1924 to honour the fallen of the First World War and recast at Castelnovo dei Monti (Reggio Emilio) in 1964. Maria Dolens weighs 22,639 tons, with a clapper of 600 kilos. The monumental bell, installed on Miravalle Hill, Rovereto, rings out a hundred times each evening in memory of the fallen of all wars and to invoke peace and brotherhood among all the peoples of the world. Its body is engraved with autographed comments by Pope Pius XII and Pope John XXIII.
For information: www.strumentidipace.net