This volume contains the edited texts of the lectures presented at the Workshop on High Performance Algorithms and Software for Nonlinear Optimization held in Erice, Sicily, at the "G. Stampacchia" School of Mathematics of the "E. Majorana" Centre for Scientific Culture, June 30 - July 8, 2001. In the first year of the new century, the aim of the Workshop was to assess the past and to discuss the future of Nonlinear Optimization, and to highlight recent achieve ments and promising research trends in this field. An emphasis was requested on algorithmic and high performance software developments and on new computational experiences, as well as on theoretical advances. We believe that such goal was basically achieved. The Workshop was attended by 71 people from 22 countries. Although not all topics were covered, the presentations gave indeed a wide overview of the field, from different and complementary stand points. Besides the lectures, several formal and informal discussions took place. We wish to express our appreciation for the active contribution of all the participants in the meeting. The 18 papers included in this volume represent a significant selection of the most recent developments in nonlinear programming theory and practice. They show that there is plenty of exciting ideas, implementation issues and new applications which produce a very fast evolution in the field.