High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! The International String Quartet Competition "Premio Paolo Borciani" was created in 1987 in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and is dedicated to their famous fellow citizen, founder and first violin of the Quartetto Italiano. Twenty years later, the Premio has now become one of the most prestigious competitions of the world, thanks also to the precious support of MaxMara. Promoter and organiser is Fondazione I Teatri in Reggio Emilia; artistic director is world-famous cellist Mario Brunello (it:Mario Brunello) ; founder and honorary artistic director is pianist Guido Alberto Borciani, Paolo Borciani’s brother.