Concorso 2 Agosto
International Composing Competition
2026 Edition is Announced!
Composers of any nationality born after 31 December 1991 are eligible to participate.
The online submission deadline is 31 May 2026, at 24:00 GMT.
Submit your scores!
XXXII Edition
We are pleased to announce that the call for entries for the 32nd “2 Agosto” International Composing Competition is now open.
Find out more about the Competition Announcement in order to participate.
The “2 Agosto” International Composing Competition was established in 1994 as a creative and autonomous response to the tragic bombing at Bologna’s railway station. Its aim is to transform the message of terror, going beyond mere commemoration: music should replace the noise of the bomb.
Each year, a new edition of the competition is launched, open to composers from all over the world under the age of 35. The theme and instrumentation change annually, and the official competition announcement, with full guidelines and deadlines, is published on this website.
The Final Concert
The final concert of the ‘2 Agosto’ International Composition Competition takes place every year on the evening of 2 August in Piazza Maggiore in Bologna.
During the concert, the winning works of the competition and some works commissioned from particularly important artists are performed.
The concert is performed by the Orchestra of the Teatro Comunale di Bologna.
About Us
The International Composing Competition “2 Agosto” was born in 1994 by the willingness of the Associazione tra i familiari delle vittime della strage alla Stazione di Bologna del 2 Agosto 1980.