Welcome Party

📅 Monday, May 25, 2026
⏰  6:00 – 7:00 p.m.
📍 Congress Venue – Magazzini del Cotone
💶 Free of charge

We are pleased to invite all participants to the official Welcome Party of MIE 2026, which will take place on Monday, May 25th, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the congress venue, Magazzini del Cotone, in Genoa.

This opening event will provide the opportunity to bring the EFMI family together once again, while also warmly welcoming those who are attending the conference for the first time.

Guests will be welcomed with a tasting of traditional Ligurian food, accompanied by live violin music featuring works by the great Genoese composer Niccolò Paganini (Genoa, October 27, 1782 – Nice, May 27, 1840). The musical performance will be played live by Maestro Marco Mascia, offering a refined cultural tribute inspired by the musical heritage of the city of Genoa.

Marco Mascia graduated with distinction from the Niccolò Paganini Conservatory of Genoa and obtained his Second Level Academic Diploma with full marks from the Giuseppe Verdi Conservatory of Turin. He further refined his studies at the Accademia Perosi in Biella and attended masterclasses held by distinguished international musicians. He is a tenured violin teacher in the Italian public music education system and has been collaborating since 2015 with the Jean Sibelius Orchestra of Rapallo as concertmaster, frequently performing also as solo violinist. In October 2025 he premiered, as a world first performance, a Violin Concerto for string orchestra composed and dedicated to him by contemporary composer Andrea Basevi. Over the course of his career, he has collaborated with major Italian orchestras, including the Orchestra of the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa, the Sanremo Symphony Orchestra and I Pomeriggi Musicali of Milan, among others. He is also actively involved in projects dedicated to the dissemination of Paganini’s figure and repertoire through concerts and performances in collaboration with leading musical institutions. He performs on historical Italian violins, including instruments by Serafino Casini and Luigi Mozzani.

The Welcome Party will be held at the Magazzini del Cotone, the official congress venue, located in the iconic Porto Antico waterfront area, providing a distinctive and memorable setting for the opening social event of MIE 2026.