The President and Founder of EMMA for Peace nominated European Young Leader 2022
The Italian cultural manager Paolo Petrocelli selected by the prestigious organization Friends of Europe among the 40 most influential young personalities in Europe.
Paolo Petrocelli has quickly established himself on the European and international scene as one of the leading cultural managers of his generation.
Today it is also recognized by Friends of Europe, one of the most important European think tanks in the world committed to promoting a new vision for a more prosperous, sustainable and inclusive Europe.
The organization at the top of which several former Presidents of the European Commission and Parliament and former Prime Ministers, including Herman Van Rompuy and Jean-Claude Juncker, each year selects 40 of the most influential under-40 personalities in Europe: young leaders who through their civil and professional commitment have managed to establish themselves for their ability to generate a positive impact within the European Union in various fields including: politics, business, science, culture, sport, media.
Among the European Young Leaders of 2022 has been nominated Paolo Petrocelli, Italian cultural manager and university professor, currently Director General of the prestigious Stauffer Center for Strings of Cremona, the first international music centre for higher education dedicated entirely to string instruments.
A passionate, innovative and dynamic manager with an extensive experience in leadership positions in a variety of organizational settings, Petrocelli is an international relations and global cultural affairs expert.
Paolo’s work is driven by the belief that culture, arts and education are a major force for growth, development and change on the global level.
He is the Founder and President of EMMA for Peace (Euro-Mediterranean Music Academy), one of the world’s largest international non-profit organizations for the promotion of a culture of peace through music diplomacy and education in Europe, Middle East and the Mediterranean region. He is the Founder and Honorary President of the Italian Youth Association for UNESCO, the largest youth organization in the UNESCO system, and Cultural Diplomacy Officer for the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates. As a cultural and performing arts manager, university professor and researcher, he has become one the most influential and innovative global cultural leaders, collaborating with some of the most prestigious international organizations, major music institutions and world-renowned artists like United Nations, European Commission, Rome Opera House, Coldplay.
Petrocelli holds a PhD in Cultural Economics Marketing and Creativity from the IULM University of Milan, an Executive MBA from SDA Bocconi School of Management of Milan, a Diploma in Violin Performance from the Conservatory of Santa Cecilia of Rome, a BA in Literature Music and Entertainment from La Sapienza University of Rome and a BA (Hons) Music from Middlesex University of London.
He has been a Visiting Fellow at Yale University and a Visiting Researcher at MIT Media Lab, the interdisciplinary research laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Today he is a Research Affiliate at the metaLAB (at) Harvard.
To help shape the next generation, Petrocelli lectures at leading universities (including Bocconi University, Yale University, MIT, New York University, Université Paris-Sorbonne) about management and international cultural relations.
Other 39 young leaders have been nominated for 2022, among them: the current Vice President of the European Parliament, the Mayor of Sarajevo, the Vice President of Black Rock (the largest investment company in the world), the Director of the Sciences Po Journalism School, the President of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Launched in 2012, the European Young Leaders programme is a unique, inventive, and multi-stakeholder programme that aims to promote a European identity by engaging the continent’s most promising talents in initiatives that will shape Europe’s future. The selection of the young leaders is handled by a committee chaired by European personalities of the highest level, including the current President of the European Parliament, Roberta Metsola (herself appointed Young Leader in 2018).
