The international violin competition Premio Paganini celebrates its 70th anniversary by 3D printing a copy of Paganini’s “Cannone” violin.
The scoop: Premio Paganini, an international violin competition held annually in Genoa, Italy, seeks new ways to honour its namesake, the virtuoso and composer Niccolò Paganini. This year, Premio Paganini has partnered with 3DiTALY, a 3D printing company, to create a print of Paganini’s legendary 1743 Guarneri del Gesù violin, “Il cannone.”
Digging deeper: Premio Paganini and 3DiTALY claim the “Cannone” will be an exact 1:1 replica of Paganini’s 1743 instrument. It will be printed and scanned with white resin and red nylon strings. The new violin will be shown in exhibitions and played in concerts in years to come.
Why it matters: Marco Bucci, the Mayor of Genoa, sees the replica violin as an opportunity to commemorate Paganini using new technologies in unconventional ways. “All material relating to the scan and the digital model of the ‘Cannone’ is now part of the archival heritage of the Municipality of Genoa,” Bucci said in a press conference.
