International competition for Choir Conductors "Mariele Ventre" 

First edition - October 12^th-14^th 2001 

The final concert with the prize awarding ceremony of the winners of the first edition the International competition for choir conductors “Mariele Ventre” was held on Sunday the 14^th of October in Bologna, at the Aula Absidale of Santa Lucia.

Among the 59 conductors who sent their application, the Jury, whose members were Stanisław Krawczyński, Piero Monti, Pier Paolo Scattolin and Kurt Suttner, selected the 12 finalists (8 men and 4 women), six of them from Italy: Marco Berrini, Paolo Paroni, Antonio Scaioli, Anna Flora Spreafico, Roberto Tofi and Cinzia Zanon and six from abroad: Spain, Oscar Boada; Switzerland, Anna Jelmorini; Norway, Ragnar Rasmussen; France, Vincent Rouquès; Poland, Alan Urbanek and Finland, Rita Varonen.
On Friday the 12^th, Saturday the 13^th and in the afternoon of Sunday the 14^th of October the jury examined the 12 finalists who directed the Choir Euridice of Bologna. The jury designated the winners (in alphabetical order) Marco Berrini, Oscar Boada, Ragnar Rasmussen and Rita Varonen.

The first prize of Lit. 10,000,000 and the silver cup of the Presidency of the Italian Republic was awarded to Ragnar Rasmussen from Tromsø, Norway.
The second prize of Lit. 5,000,000 was awarded to Rita Varonen from Vesanka, Finland.
The third prize ex-aequo of Lit. 3,000,000 to each of them was awarded to Marco Berrini from Buccinasco (Milan) and Oscar Boada from Barcelona, Spain.

The next edition of the competition will take place in 2003.

Preparation Maestro: Pier Paolo Scattolin
Participants conducted Coro Euridice di Bologna
Mariele Ventre Foundation President: Maria Antonietta Ventre
Artistic and production director: Daniele Proni
Press : Michele D'Agostino
Public Relations: Paola Brunoli Calzolari
Organization Secretariat: Gabriella Broccoli, Donatella Polletti, Liliana Diamanti