Dear friends, the program of the next the Acoustic Guitar Village is coming to life: the AGV within Cremona Musica International Exhibitions and Festival is taking place in ​​September, 23-25th, at the Fiera di Cremona.
The news of the definitive cancellation of the international fair Musikmesse in Frankfurt, gives us even more responsibilities and offers new opportunities for Cremona Musica to continue its path in establishing itself as a fundamental point of reference for the musical instrument market in Europe. Responsibility that Cremona Musica accepts with pride and seriousness, thanks to a consolidated experience as city celebrated in the world as a UNESCO heritage for lutherie.
Having realized some time ago that the presentation of a traditional and purely commercial fair is an outdated format, and that cultural, educational and live entertainment events are now a fundamental and effective part of a musical event, makes us realize that the direction taken is the right one.
Only in this way can producers, builders and importers of high-end musical instruments have an audience of enthusiasts and musicians who are attentive to what’s new and what the market has to offer but who are also enthusiastic about sharing the excitement and participation in a variety of events. It is no coincidence that Cremona Musica has long since added the word Festival to its title.
The Acoustic Guitar Village is the pulsating engine of all of the above, presenting numerous cultural events and managing all the live stages, inside and outside the pavilions and in the historic center of Cremona.

The AGV program is enriched day by day: here are the news, which will always be updated on the website as well as in our newsletters and social media

• Luthiers, manufacturers and importers of acoustic guitars and other plectrum and plucked instruments keep signing up for the AGV exhibition area, both from Italy and the rest of the world. This year it will be enriched with new spaces dedicated to the Ukulele Village and to other players in the music industry such as record labels, publishers, institutions, associations and organizations of the sector.
  For the Ukulele Village we will have the presence and collaboration of Lorenzo Vignando, Ukulollo, and the Englishman Paul Moore, author and promoter of the “Ukuleles for Peace” project in Israel-Palestine

• The annual exhibition of historical guitars will be, as always, curated by master luthiers Leonardo Petrucci and Martina Gozzini, with an area dedicated to ethnic instruments from around the world curated by expert collectors Bruno Brunetti and Flaminio Valseriati.
• The lutherie masterclass will be held by John Monteleone, finally in attendance, who will also be commemorated at the Violin Museum with the Cremona Musica Award. He will be supported by the equally esteemed Swiss luthiers Claudio and Claudia Pagelli and by the Italian luthier Rosalba De Bonis, who will present the costruction technique of the battente guitar.
• The masterclass of executive technique will focus on the battente guitar and the acoustic guitar in Italian popular music. It will be held by master Micki Piperno and the great artist of battente and non-battente guitar Francesco Loccisano.
• In addition, there will be a new third masterclass entirely dedicated to the mandolin and to the improvement of its playing techniques. It will be held by master Carlo Aonzo.
  
  The masterclasses will be avaible to a limited number of participants and subject to a fee; you can find the detailed program and the registration form at the following link:
  https://acousticguitarvillage.net/en/cremona-2022/2013-editiondidactic-courses/

• Among the various conferences, presentations and meetings that will take place in the special Events Area of the AGV, the luthier, dealer and collector Rudy Pensa, owner of the most important and esteemed guitar workshop in New York “Rudy’s Music“, will talk about his history as an expert estimator and guitar salesman. He will also present his incredible collection of D’Angelico and D’Acquisto guitars with the book he edited “Archtop guitars: the journey from Cremona to New York”.
• Like every year, master Francesco Taranto will hold the 5th Conference “The Guitar in Italy between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries” as well as the Master on the repertoire and technique of the nineteenth century guitar with many interpreters, speakers and experts.
  Master Roberto Fabbri, exceptional classic guitarist, will also present his activities and the courses of the Istituto Superiore di Studi Musicali G. Braga of Teramo.
• Cremona Mandolini in Mostra, the event dedicated to the world of the mandolin which was so successful in the last edition, will present, in addition to a historical exhibition, a series of cultural events and live performances of mandolin ensembles from various cities of Italy. Alway under the artistic direction of master Carlo Aonzo with the collaboration of the master luthier Lorenzo Frignani.
  Many international guests and experts in the sector are expected, including the Dutch Alex Timmerman, scholar Ugo Orlandi, and luthier Lorenzo Lippi. We are also honored to host, after his visit to Sarzana a few years ago …, the American virtuoso of mandolin and mandocello Mike Marshall!

• Mike Marshall will also take part in the 9th edition of the Italian Bluegrass Meeting, scheduled for Saturday, September 24th on Live Stage 2, successfully coordinated as always by Danilo Cartia. There will be many bands and passionate musicians of the bluegrass music genre, both Italian and European (19 bands for about 70 musicians last edition!) jam sessions, performances and workshops throughout the day: guaranteed fun and a final dinner for all participants! Partners of the event will be, as always, Martin Guitars and the Deering Banjo Company.
  The program for Sunday, September 25th is also confirmed: on Live Stage 2 will be held the new edition of Corde e Voci d’Autore, the review of songwriters-guitarists coordinated by Andrea Tarquini. There will be many guests of national importance, including Alessio Lega, Max Manfredi, and Andrea Tarquini himself, who will present his new upcoming record. Other performers are to be defined and confirmed, for a program that is expected to be very rich in content.

• We would like to renew the invitation to send the proposals for the preselections of the New Sounds of Acoustic Music competition, following the instructions that appeared in the March issue of the magazine. You can also find all the details at the following link:
  https://acousticguitarvillage.net/en/cremona-2022/new-sounds-of-acoustic-music/
  The final of the competition of the three sections – solo guitarists, songwriters-guitarists and acoustic bands – will take place on Friday, September 23th on Live Stage 2. Awards offered by Taylor Guitars, Acus-sound and other partner companies.

• Open Stage 1, the other important live stage of the AGV, will present a daily non-stop performances for all the days of the event, with acoustic guitars, mandolins, ukuleles ready to dialogue with accordions, wind instruments, pianos and other instruments present in the various areas of Cremona Musica. We will be featuring Francesco Loccisano, Micki Piperno, Paul Moore, Ukulollo, Mike Marshall, Carlo Aonzo and many more artists.

• Cremona Musica Downtown, the concert on Saturday evening, September 24th, will take place in the historic Federico II courtyard in front of the Piazza del Duomo in Cremona. An unmissable opportunity for all visitors and exhibitors to participate in a beautiful evening of high quality music while celebrating the 2022 edition of the AGV in Cremona Musica directly in the historic center. The program, which is being defined, will feature some of the artists already mentioned and some more who will be here for the occasion. Entry is free.

• Cremona Musica Downtown Giovani is also confirmed for Sunday, September 25th. For the whole day various soloists and youg acoustic bands will play in the other historical courtyard of the Civic Museum-Library of Cremona with the coordination of teachers Roberto Lana and Massimo Ottini. The novelty for 2022 is “Chalk Stories, words and drawings with white chalk“, graphic interventions by various young people on site during musical performances, from an idea by Pietro Arrigoni.

In the coming weeks the program will be enriched more and more; a satisfaction for us organizers but most of all an encouragement and opportunity for passionate visitors and commercial operators in the sector – luthiers or companies – to meet, get in touch and create business. All of that with many shows, a lot of fun and educational cultural insights. It is of vital importance to encourage the recovery of the musical instrument market after the difficult period that we have all gone through, and Cremona Musica is a fundamental step in this path.
For this reason we are working full-time with the organizational structure of the Cremona Fair, both in presence and by participating at various international events. We will be at the Paris Guitar Festival, the 1st Montreaux International Guitar Show, the NAMM Show in California and other various events around the world – the Acoustic Guitar Village in Cremona Musica once again confirms itself as a worldwide recognized and highly regarded event.

We wait for you on September 23-24-25th at the Cremona Fair. Obviously everything will be carried out with the utmost organization and following the necessary indications and precautions. We can’t wait!

Alessio Ambrosi

Artistic Advisor
Acoustic Guitar Village a Cremona Musica