Premio Ugolino 2026

The **Concertino dal Balconcino**, on the occasion of its fifteenth anniversary, on the last Sunday of October, pays tribute to the artist and the city with an event celebrating the deepest meaning of culture. In the now historic setting of the Balconcino, recognized as a place of rare cultural value, the fourth edition of the **Premio Ugolino** will take place. This music competition was established in honor of the 1960s and ’70s singer-songwriter **Guido Lamberti, known professionally as Ugolino**, with the aim of promoting singer-songwriter music in the ironic and nonconformist spirit he pioneered.

Ten finalist singer-songwriters from all over Italy: **La Ramat**, **Fabio Di Francesco**, **Francesco Stabile**, **Luca Telli**, **L'ukulequio**, **Kate Canova**, **Alberto Fauro**, **Autunno Vuoto**, **Daniele Chiarella**, and **CarloMagno**.

The evening will also feature actress **Francesca Amato**, music journalist **Vito Vita**, Premio Montale winner **Carlo Molinaro**, the collective **Mamme in piazza per la libertà di dissenso** (“Mothers in the Square for Freedom of Dissent”), producer **Hook in the Ears**, as well as a special collaboration, **Ugolino & MCCS Punklirico**, namely Daria Spada and Maksim Cristan.

Born in 1946, Ugolino is an Italian singer-songwriter from Calabria who was active during the 1960s and ’70s. He is known for his ironic and absurdist style, which made him a singular figure ahead of his time in Italian music. He rose to fame in 1968 thanks to his appearance on the television program Quelli della domenica, hosted by Paolo Villaggio. His ironic, surreal, and disillusioned approach to music laid bare the absurdities of society through sharp and provocative lyrics.

His most famous song is “Ma che bella giornata” (“What a Beautiful Day,” 1968), a surreal and disenchanted track considered a forerunner of absurdist rock—and even of rap in Italy, because of its rhythmic vocal style. Among his best-known works are the albums Nudo e crudo (1973) and Siamo rimasti fregati (1977).

Today, Guido Lamberti is 86 years old and lives in Aosta, where he works in children’s theater with his company. In 2018, he published the poetry collection Immortale un minuto (“Immortal for One Minute”). Since 2023, he has been the sole judge of the Premio Ugolino singer-songwriter competition, which is dedicated to him.

Sunday, October 11, 6:00 p.m.
Concertino dal Balconcino Urban Theater
3 Via Mercanti, Turin
*Pay what you can

A punk writer and an opera singer founded a band that is unique in its genre: MCCS Punklirico. Distorted guitar, explosive drums, walking bass, and a voice that alternates between different intentions and registers. It is punk-lirico, inspired by the best-known genre of rock opera, in which every song is a story and every live performance a true spectacle. From Turin, where they live, they made national headlines with their original challenge to the system. In 2011, they transformed the courtyard of their apartment building into a small open-air theater and their home balcony into a stage, performing for an hour every Sunday afternoon. Thus was born an unprecedented cultural experiment—a veritable urban art hub, the **Concertino dal Balconcino**. Over fifteen years, they have staged more than 700 concerts, involving over 2,000 artists and 80,000 spectators.

What else is there to say? Oh yes—what a beautiful day!
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