The first music course at Palazzo Chigi was inaugurated in Siena, in 1932. Since then, the number of students has gradually increased to the nearly 600 students of today, who represent about 50 nations. In addition, the number of advanced-level masterclasses has been expanded. The Accademia continues to foster an ongoing exchange between old and new generations of students, those who have become masters often returning to teach and becoming an integral part of the history of the Academy.

Famous musicians have attended the advanced specialization courses at Chigiana during their studies: Carlo Maria Giulini, Zubin Mehta, Daniel Oren, Roman Vlad, Claudio Abbado, Salvatore Accardo, Uto Ughi, Daniel Barenboim, Esa-Pekka Salonen, Alirio Diaz. Today, in the halls of the Academy, you can still meet Boris Belkin, Salvatore Accardo, Patrick Gallois, Salvatore Sciarrino, Antonio Meneses, David Geringas, Bruno Giuranna, Eliot Fisk and many other professors.