The Zazel Trio won first prize in the “Formations” category of the second edition of the “Giulio Rospigliosi” Contemporary Music Interpretation Competition, held on March 11th and 12th, 2026 at Villa Rospigliosi in Lamporecchio, Pistoia, Tuscany, Italy as part of the historic musical event organized by the “Giulio Rospigliosi” Culture and Music Association.

The trio, which includes Francesco Gemo (violin), Mattia Geracitano (cello) and Riccardo Pugliese (accordion), distinguished itself in the section dedicated to chamber ensembles thanks to the performance of “Silenzio” by the composer Sofia Gubaidulina, a piece that particularly impressed the jury for its interpretative intensity and ability to enhance the timbral peculiarities of this unusual chamber ensemble.

The jury of the competition was composed of Hidehiko Hinohara (President – composer and pianist), Arcadio Baracchi (flutist), Monica Benvenuti (singer specializing in the contemporary repertoire), Giovanni Guastini (pianist and winner of the 2025 edition of the contemporary chamber section), and Marco Ortolani (clarinetist).

In addition to the scholarship provided by the competition, the Zazel Trio was also awarded a recording with EMA Records and a concert in the “Transversality 2026” season, in collaboration with the “Giacomo Puccini” Conservatory of La Spezia and the La Spezia Concert Society.

The prize represents a further step in the artistic journey of the ensemble which, in recent years, has developed a research dedicated to the repertoire for violin, cello and accordion, a formation still relatively rare in the chamber music scene.