27 international singing competitions can be considered not only an important moment for the Committee of volunteers, but also for Sulmona where culture has always been a reason for social aggregation. The competence, valency and unicity of this competition has always been recognized by those who have experienced it from the inside: singers, musicians, accompanists and jury members. Maybe it is the atmosphere of Sulmona, which makes all its guests feel “ at home”, seduced by the charm of the old (ancient) buildings and the sweetness of “ confetti”; or the great care the volunteers of the “ Maria Caniglia Association” have of the candidates; or the collaboration among the members of the jury which allows them to work serenely and impartially.It is sure that at the “Maria Caniglia”, as people call the competition, the atmosphere is very different from other ones.

For these reasons the International Competition has become worldwide famous from year to year. Today the competitors, coming from all over the world, are aware they take part not only in a reliable competition, but also in a real audition which allows them, as in the past, to be proposed to stage managers of important Italian and European theatres. One only takes a glance at the “Livre d’or” of the competition “Maria Caniglia” to see how these undiscovered talents have become the stars of the most important opera houses in the world. This year the organizers had to cope with quite different circumstances. The contributions of the cultural institutions have been reduced drastically because of the international and national financial difficulties:

The perseverance, the passion, the competence and the reliability of the organizers have allowed once more to keep the competition at the high level of quality of the previous editions. Heartfelt thanks to “ Banca Popolare di Lanciano e Sulmona” for the rich contribution, as well as to Sulmona Municipality, L’Aquila Province and Fondazione Carispaq, which offered the possibility to keep alive this competition that brings prestige to our town and that is known as one of the most important cultural events in Abruzzo.