Pierino Ambrosoli Foundation

08/10/2026

The weekend edition of the Corriere del Ticino from September 26, 2026, dedicates an extensive profile to Daniela Ambrosoli. The focus of Tommy Cappellini's article is her memoirs "Daughter from a Better House" and her personal look at her own life story.

With great openness, Daniela Ambrosoli speaks about her family history and formative experiences. Her memories connect the history of a well-known Ticino entrepreneurial family with her own path as an entrepreneur, documentary filmmaker, and founder of the Pierino Ambrosoli Foundation, and not least, as a wife and mother.

Special attention is given to her connection to dance. Her mother, the expressive dancer Sonja Bragowa, was already part of this world. Later, her daughter's passion for dance provided her with an immediate insight into the demanding training of young dancers. From this, a commitment grew that continues to persist to this day.

With the establishment of the Pierino Ambrosoli Foundation in 1990, Daniela Ambrosoli created an opportunity to specifically support young talents. Her artistic training and development are the focus of this work.

We thank Tommy Cappellini and the Corriere del Ticino for the personal portrait and the attention to Daniela Ambrosolis's life and work.

24/09/2026

Behind the scenes at “Mind the Gap”!

On August 18th. 2026, our President, Daniela Ambrosoli, attended rehearsals for “Mind the Gap – Edition II”. Initiated by Filipe Portugal for Tanz und Kunst Königsfelden, this development programme supports young dancers as they transition from training into professional careers—an important stage that we at the Pierino Ambrosoli Foundation are delighted to support.
Over five intensive weeks, the ensemble rehearsed choreographies by Heinz Spoerli, Caroline Finn and Filipe Portugal under professional conditions.
At the premiere on 21st. August 2026 at the Kurtheater Baden, the “Mind the Gap” Dance Prize was presented for the second time. This year, two prizes were awarded—to dancers Emilia Zapata and Clément Mastroianni.
We warmly congratulate Emilia and Clément on this wonderful achievement and wish them every success on their future artistic journeys!
Our heartfelt thanks go to Filipe Portugal and the entire team for their dedication to the next generation of dancers.

04/09/2026

We are delighted to share some wonderful news from our former scholarship recipient, famous violinist Ilva Eigus!
https://www.ambrosoli.org/en/ilva-vera-eigus--s--2
After completing her high school exams and PreCollege studies at the Royal Conservatory of Liège, Ilva is preparing for an exciting new chapter: this October, she will continue her studies with Professor Marc Bouchkov at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen.
Her recent months have been filled with inspiring performances, international encounters and new artistic experiences — from working with renowned violinist Vadim Gluzman at the Music in the Mountains festival in Colorado to performing at the Gstaad Menuhin Festival and Les Trouvailles Classiques du Landeron.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=POaPRTL7fuM
We are proud to have accompanied Ilva on part of her journey and look forward to following the next steps in her promising career. Congratulations, Ilva — and all the very best for this exciting new chapter! ✨

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1793)Violin Concerto No.5 in A-Major...

24/07/2026

22/07/2026

22/07/2026

At the 24th Premio Roma Danza, held at the National Academy of Dance in Rome from 10 to 15 July 2026, the Pierino Ambrosoli Foundation Special Prize was awarded to a highly talented young Italian choreographer whose beautiful, original and highly musical work deeply moved us.
Although he is beginning to receive recognition for his creativity abroad, professional opportunities in Italy remain limited. With the support of the Foundation, he will take part in an artistic residency with MM Contemporary Dance, directed by Michele Merola in Reggio Emilia—one of Italy’s leading contemporary dance companies.
During the residency, he will have the opportunity to create a new choreography, develop his artistic vision and gain greater recognition in his home country. He was truly happy and deeply moved to receive this special award.
The winning piece was brilliantly performed by an exceptional dancer. Congratulations to both remarkable young artists—we look forward to following their journey!

Best wishes,
Pierino Ambrosoli Foundation
Ambrosoli Daniela PS & Sascha

17/07/2026

Premio Roma Danza 2026 – Congratulations to All Winners
We are delighted to share the official results of Premio Roma Danza 2026.
Choreography – Solo Category
🥇 1st Place: Derma – Alessandro Giaquinto
🥈 2nd Place: Trumble – Hu Junjie
🥉 3rd Place: Eclipse – Sun Jie & Zhong Ying
Choreography – Group Category
🥇 1st Place: Burdens of Being – Alessio Damiani
🥈 2nd Place: The Long Goodbye – Chen Jiajia & Yi Zhihao
🥉 3rd Place: Love You in My Way – Zhang Zhenhang
Video Dance – Dance Movie Category
🥇 1st Place: Almost Uninhabited – Daniel Matos
🥈 2nd Place, ex aequo: The Shape of Almost – Silvia Prete
🥈 2nd Place, ex aequo: Neine – Giorgia Pontyicello
🥉 3rd Place: Corpi e circuiti – Maria Francesca Godino
SmartPhoneDance Category
🏆 Winner: Tides of Blessing – Feng Fanyuanhang
We are especially pleased to announce that the Pierino Ambrosoli Foundation Award was presented to Alessandro Giaquinto, who will receive a paid artistic residency with MM Contemporary Dance Company, directed by Michele Merola.
https://www.premioromadanza.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/LISTA-VINCITORI-Premio-Roma-2026.pdf
Our warmest congratulations to all the winners, artists and participants. We wish them continued inspiration and success in their artistic journeys.

09/07/2026

Mind the Gap II Support August 2026

The initiative of the well-known dancer and choreographer Filipe Portugal to initiate a funding program for newly trained dancers is a wonderful project, a creative idea that gives young artists an insight into the world of a dance company. The Pierino Ambrosoli Foundation is proud to be part of this new opportunity for young dancers from the best academies worldwide.” - Daniela Ambrosoli

Daniela Ambrosoli our president of the Zurich Pierino Ambrosoli Foundation for the promotion of dance and music at a highly professional level

Get your tickets now for the performances in Baden, Langenthal and Chur:

https://www.tanzundkunst.ch/de/mind-the-gap/2026-mind-the-gap-edition-ii-70/

Cover Image by Photo© Reza Khatir

02/07/2026

🏆 DOUBLE INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION FOR JOHN&JOHN
Semi-Finalist – New York Indie Shorts Awards
Nominee – Toronto Indie Shorts
We are delighted to announce two exciting international achievements for John&John, the animated short film written and directed by Daniela Ambrosoli.
The film has been selected as a Semi-Finalist at the New York Indie Shorts Awards and has been invited to compete at the NY New Waves Online Event, taking place August 27–30, 2026, where it will be in competition for the NY New Waves Award.
At the same time, John&John has been officially named a Nominee at the Toronto Indie Shorts.
These recognitions represent an important milestone in the international festival journey of the film and encourage us to continue sharing its story with audiences around the world.
Our heartfelt thanks go to everyone who contributed to this project—our wonderful crew, collaborators, partners, friends, and supporters. Your talent, dedication, and enthusiasm made this journey possible.
The adventure of John&John continues!

John&John
Short film by Daniela Ambrosoli
Semi-Finalist – New York Indie Shorts Awards

26/06/2026

Congratulations, Mattia Valtancoli!
Our scholarship recipient Mattia Valtancoli has successfully completed his two-year Classical Trainee Program at the European School of Ballet in Amsterdam.
Throughout his training, Mattia developed into a strong, confident and technically reliable dancer. He broadened his knowledge of different classical ballet styles, strengthened his partnering skills and gained increasing confidence in contemporary choreography.
We are especially pleased that Mattia has already secured a contract with the renowned Alberta Ballet in Canada. He is one of the first trainees from his class to begin his professional career with a major ballet company.
The Pierino Ambrosoli Foundation is proud to have supported Mattia throughout his training. We warmly congratulate him on this important achievement and wish him every success, inspiration and many memorable moments on stage as he begins the next chapter of his career.
Bravo, Mattia!