It moves me still today, to 40 years from the first edition of Casagrande Competition, to speak about it as president of the Foundation that, born in 2002, has given that solidity of structure, certainty of resources, clearness of roles and function and an further stability in the time, to that for a long long time has been an extraordinary voluntary initiative of a group of Terni’s friends, towards whose generosity and care I will be always grate.

My history with the Competition begins when in 1966, my sister-in-law Adriana Morelli Casagrande, my husband Franco Casagrande and I, just after the deep pain for the premature died of ours loved Alessandro, a still young talent,cut off when it began to appreciate the first successes of a splendid career as player and composer, decided to make never forget its music, its joy of living, its love for the young people.

With a very few means, but with the biggest dedication and love, we began this adventure, that gradually has given to Terni, where Alessandro was born, one new feature of opened, receiving, cosmopolitan city.

I 'm proud of being able to assert that in the name of Alessandro Casagrande, fecund and durable relations of friendship have been constructed between the city, its citizens, the best ones promises of the international piano world of last four decades: some of the greatest contemporary artists, which Alexander Lonquich, Ivo Pogorelich, Boris Petrushansky ,etc., consider themselves as honorary citizen of Terni and they are proud to return at their "adoptive families" in Terni.

In all these years the manifestation has grown confirming itself always more like highly qualified event, in a Terni that is transformed in its cultural productions, conserving however, beside the usual seriousness and rigour of the prestigious international Jury, a very special character that make Casagrande Competition not only a selected occasional musical event, but also a pleasant opportunity of communication, knowledge, fraternity, that let it succeeds to create in those 12 days of competition, that special atmosphere of serene solidarity and friendship that in the young people only can be born.

I would want to conclude reassuming with the words of our Artistic Director, M° Dario De Rosa, the one that always has been, and that I hope strongly still will be , the "mission" of Casagrande Competition: "the Competition prefers the musicality more than the technique........ To discover young le talents and to support them in theirs more and more difficult artistic careers ".