Lutherie Competitions 'Luigi Mozzani'
Eufonica 2026 places contemporary lutherie at the heart of its programme with the 1st “Luigi Mozzani” International Biennial Competition for Plucked String Instruments, organised as part of Eufonica at BolognaFiere and promoted in collaboration with Assimusica.
The competition aims to bring together and showcase the finest expressions of contemporary lutherie at an international level, promoting craftsmanship, research into materials and design innovation. It is open to professional luthiers under the age of 35 as well as to students enrolled in lutherie schools, with no age limit.
The instruments admitted to the competition will be evaluated by juries composed equally of luthiers and musicians and, following the selection process, exhibited to the public during Eufonica 2026. The categories active for the 2026 edition are Classical Guitar and Ukulele; the Mandolin category will be introduced in the 2027 edition.
A concrete opportunity to present one’s work in an international context, be evaluated by a jury of luthiers and musicians, exhibit the instrument during Eufonica and compete for cash prizes of up to €5,000. The deadline for submitting applications is 15 April 2026.
The Luigi Mozzani International Biennial Competition is dedicated to plucked string instruments and will take place in Bologna from 12 to 17 May 2026 as part of Eufonica.
The competition is divided into separate categories, each with its own jury and prizes. Within the Classical Guitar category, the “Mario Maccaferri” Prize will be awarded for the best manouche guitar.
Each jury is composed of a President and members equally divided between luthiers and musicians. Instruments are evaluated according to artistic and construction criteria (technical execution, design concept, varnish quality, style and character of the work, setup) as well as acoustic criteria (sound expressiveness, power, balance across the strings, playability).
Cash prizes are awarded to the first-place winners:
- €5,000 for Classical Guitar
- €4,000 for Ukulele
- €3,000 for Mandolin (2027 edition)
The award ceremony will take place on Saturday, 16 May 2026 at 7:30 pm within the Eufonica exhibition spaces, followed by a concert featuring the winning instruments.
The competition is open to two distinct profiles.
Professional luthiers
Those who carry out the profession of luthier continuously and professionally, either independently or as employees, regardless of nationality or gender.
For this category, participation is reserved for candidates who have not reached the age of 35 by 31 December 2025 (for mandolins, by 31 December 2026).
Students of lutherie schools
Students enrolled in public or private institutions that certify a formal training programme in the art of lutherie and issue a diploma or certificate.
There is no age limit for students. Instruments submitted by students may be made by one or more authors; in such cases, all contributors must be indicated at the time of registration. Each participant may submit a maximum of two instruments, built from 2024 onwards (from 2025 onwards for mandolins).
The application form must be downloaded, completed and submitted by email to eufonica2026@assimusica.it by 15 April 2026. The application process includes:
- completion of the Mozzani Competition Registration Form and Privacy Policy
- download and read the Full Mozzani Competition Regulations
- payment of the participation fee, according to the specified terms
- delivery of the instrument to BolognaFiere on the scheduled dates
Further information at eufonica2026@assimusica.it.
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