Cremona's tri-annual big event called "Cremona Triennale" is a competition for instrument artisans. Many artisans gather in Cremona, some of them already "liutaio" and others trying to become a full-fledged "liutaio". The final round of the Competition and the award presentation take place in the horse-shoe shaped Teatro A.Ponchielli built in 1806 with 1,250 seats. The name Ponchielli is taken from the Cremonese composer Amilcare Ponchielli, who became known for such works as the opera "La Gioconda".

　

 Many people aspiring to become a "liutaio" continue to come to Cremona. The Antonio Stradivarius International School for Violin Making currently enrolls 180 students whose curriculum runs for five years. Tutors of the school lament over the size of each class and fondly look back to the one-to-one mentorship of bygone days. Graduating from instrument making school does not automatically make one a "liutaio". In order for one to be considered a full-fledged "liutaio", one needs to work arduously for 10, 20, 30 years to improve the skill, not to mention the importance of one's artistic gifts.