Riemann Prize Week 2026: a week with the world's leading mathematicians at Villa Toeplitz in Varese

From 29 June to 3 July 2026, Villa Toeplitz will host Riemann Prize Week 2026, a week-long programme of events celebrating mathematics and the recipient of the third Riemann Prize, French mathematician Sylvia Serfaty.

Organised by the Riemann International School of Mathematics (RISM) at the University of Insubria, the event will bring some of the world's most distinguished mathematicians to Varese for a series of scientific lectures, public talks, and outreach initiatives. Participants include Luigi Ambrosio, Maryna Viazovska, Ofer Zeitouni, Jan Philip Solovej, Benjamin Schlein, Thomas Leblé, and Jérémie Szeftel, among others.

The 2026 edition carries special significance as it coincides with the bicentenary of the birth of Bernhard Riemann (1826–1866), one of the founding figures of modern mathematics, after whom the prize is named.

Among the highlights of the week, on Wednesday 1 July at 4:30 p.m., Sylvia Serfaty will deliver the traditional Leonardesca Lecture at the Istituto Lombardo Academy of Sciences and Letters in Milan. The lecture is intended not only for specialists but also for a broader audience interested in contemporary mathematics.

The week will conclude on Friday 3 July at 10:00 a.m. with the award ceremony in the Salone Estense in Varese, which will be open to the public. On that occasion, Sylvia Serfaty will receive the Riemann Prize from Luigi Ambrosio and artist Marcello Morandini, creator of the exclusive artwork presented alongside the Riemann Medal.

“This year, Riemann Prize Week coincides with the bicentenary of Bernhard Riemann’s birth, and perhaps for that reason we have welcomed an extraordinary number of leading mathematicians. Riemann’s legacy continues to inspire the scientific community, and one of RISM’s core missions is to connect these outstanding scientists with young people and society at large. Twelve years ago, when I embarked on this journey, I could never have imagined that Varese would become a capital of mathematics. I am deeply grateful to everyone who believed in this project,” said Daniele Cassani, President of RISM and organiser of the event.

Born in Boulogne-Billancourt, France, in 1975, Sylvia Serfaty is Professor at Sorbonne Université and Silver Professor of Mathematics at New York University. Widely regarded as one of the foremost mathematicians of her generation, she has made seminal contributions to mathematical physics, the calculus of variations, and random matrix theory. Her many international distinctions include the Henri Poincaré Prize and the Maryam Mirzakhani Prize 2024.

Established in 2019 under the auspices of RISM and the universities of Lombardy, the Riemann Prize is awarded every three years to mathematicians between the ages of 40 and 65 whose work has had a significant impact on the international scientific community. Previous recipients include Terence Tao in 2019 and Luigi Ambrosio in 2022.