It was established in Cremona in 1985 by two outstanding personalities: Andrea Mosconi, former artistic director of the Monteverdi Festival and curator of Cremona’s civic collection of string instruments, and Salvatore Accardo, one of the greatest Italian violinists of all time, the first Italian winner of the Paganini Prize, a tireless musician and teacher. At the heart of the project lies the need to preserve and promote the tradition of the Italian school of string instruments, and the desire to give maximum support to the artistic growth and professional training of young musical talents from Italy and all over the world.