Agon Ensemble began with a simple wish. After years spent playing in orchestras across Europe, Martino Moruzzi wanted to build a group that would perform not only in theatres and festivals, but also for the people who rarely get the chance to hear live music at all.
That idea still defines the ensemble. Agon brings together talented young musicians from across Europe around a shared project. Alongside concerts in prestigious halls, the group is committed to carrying music into places never built for listening to music: schools, hospitals, care homes, community centres and prisons.
Rooted in Cremona but looking outward, Agon works in synergy with schools, young musicians and local institutions, exploring both classical and contemporary repertoire, and celebrating what a shared Europe can sound like. Each player is an ambassador of their own country, and many have performed with ensembles such as the European Union Youth Orchestra and the Gustav Mahler Jugendorchester, both founded by Claudio Abbado.
The name comes from further back. Martino's father, Mauro Moruzzi, was a clarinettist who wanted to give something lasting to Cremona: he founded the Associazione musicale Agon to support local musicians and bring music across the province. He died in 1999, that work still unfinished. The ensemble carries the name forward, and with it the same intention.
In ancient Greek, agon means a contest, an encounter, a meeting of forces. Here it stands for amplifying artistic expression by bringing different cultures and traditions together.
