From the University of Bologna, the Winner of the National “Luigi Naddeo” Award

“Limen: Four Studies on the Theatre of Sound (Thierry De Mey, Francesco Filidei, Nicole Lizée and Ryuichi Sakamoto)” is the title of the thesis with which Mariachiara Grilli, who graduated in March 2025 with a Master’s Degree in Musicology and Musical Heritage from the University of Bologna, won the second edition of the national “Luigi Naddeo” Musicology Award and the €1,000 prize.

The Award, established in memory of Luigi Naddeo, Deputy Director of the Italian Air Force Band, by the Department of Culture of the Municipality of San Gregorio Magno (Salerno), aims to promote and reward excellence in academic research in musicology. It is granted to the best thesis in musicology discussed at an Italian university or conservatoire between 31 March 2023 and 31 March 2025.

“The multidisciplinary nature of the Unibo degree programme, and its ability to connect theoretical discourse and artistic practice, enabled me to link musicological and musical research to other fields — particularly twentieth-century and contemporary philosophy, as well as certain current choreographic and theatrical experiences. The interdisciplinary approach I adopted made my thesis work stand out as particularly original in the eyes of the committee, and it has also allowed me in recent years to receive positive feedback both in conferences and in proposing papers for academic publications,” says Mariachiara.

A pianist and musicologist, Mariachiara Grilli focuses mainly on the study and interpretation of contemporary repertoires. She has performed both as a soloist and in chamber ensembles in Italy and in prestigious concert halls abroad. In addition to several publications, she has presented papers at international musicology conferences in Italy, Russia, Portugal and Brazil.