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APPLICATIONS AND REGULATIONS
SUMMER ACADEMY 2026
Candidates who meet the requirements listed below and have successfully passed the required entrance examination are eligible as active students.
The following may apply for admission as full students:
- Italian candidates holding a second-level academic diploma
- Foreign candidates holding equivalent certificates
Applicants for these courses must submit a curriculum of their studies.
- Composition (deadline for submitting scores: May 15)
- Innovation in Chamber Music and Oboe (deadline: May 31)
- Chigiana-Mozarteum Baroque Program courses (deadline: June 15, except for Composition for historical instruments)
- Diplomas or certificates of musical studies
- Personal identification document with date of birth
- Detailed curriculum vitae
- Concert programs already performed (required only for students enrolled in ensemble music and Orchestral Conducting courses)
For clarifications or information, please contact the Students’ Office (allievi@chigiana.it).
The tuition fee is to be paid only after notification from the Academy of possible admission to the course.
- April 30 for video audition applications to the following courses: Voice, Guitar, Clarinet, Double Bass, Choir Conducting, Flute, “Organ Improvisation Between Tradition and Creation”, Percussion, Piano, String Quartet and chamber music, Trumpet, Viola, Violin, and Cello
- April 30 for Live Electronics course enrollment
- May 15 for Composition and Orchestral Conducting courses
- May 31 for video audition applications to Innovation in Chamber Music and Oboe courses
- May 31 for Composition for historical instruments course
- June 15 for Chigiana-Mozarteum Baroque Program courses (except Composition for historical instruments)
- July 31 for “Tabula Rasa” course
Failure to pay the application-exam fee will result in cancellation of the enrollment request.
Full-time attendance in the same course is allowed for a maximum of four years, unless an exception is granted by the teacher with a justified request to the Artistic Director of the Academy.
No more than two courses may be attended simultaneously.
For ensembles demonstrating at least three years of activity, limited exceptions may be considered if the overall average age is under 35.
Candidates must attach a copy of a document showing their date of birth. Without it, enrollment will be considered null.
- The pieces they intend to perform for the video audition
- The pieces they plan to study during the course
- For Voice courses, their vocal range
- For ensemble courses, their instrument
(for pre-formed ensembles: surname and instrument of each member)
No specific qualifications are required to enroll as an auditor.
It is sufficient to complete the online form and pay the fee in euros upon arrival in Siena at the Students’ Office.
The Academy reserves the right to allow, limit, or exclude auditors from attending lessons.
Full students must ensure their presence throughout the course, respecting the full lesson schedule.
With teacher approval and prior notification to the Students’ Office, absence from lessons is allowed for a maximum of two days (for courses shorter than 10 days, only one day is permitted).
Exceptions, upon teacher request, are allowed only for String Quartet and Chamber Music students.
Attendance control is at the sole discretion of the teacher.
Ensemble members must have all the scores and parts required for their ensemble.
Entrance exams for courses (for instrumentalists, singers, and choir conductors) must be completed by submitting a video recording (video audition), sent together with the online enrollment form by April 30 (Innovation in Chamber Music and Oboe: May 31; Baroque Program courses: June 15).
Candidates must follow the exam program set.
A link to the video on YouTube, Vimeo, or other digital platforms.
Candidates who do not pass the entrance exam may attend courses as auditors, completing the related formalities at the Students’ Office.
The Chigiana Academy exempts one student per course from tuition fees.
Full students may request fee exemption by submitting a written, reasoned request to attach to the enrollment form.
The request must declare whether the student has income from work.
Exemptions will be awarded based on merit ranking and consist of reimbursement of the paid tuition fee.
Each teacher is free to determine when to grant exemptions: either at the start of the course, based on the entrance exam results, or at the end, based on the student’s merit.
Students receiving scholarships from other institutions cannot benefit from fee exemptions.
No exemptions apply to the Chigiana-Mozarteum Baroque Program 2026.
All fees must be paid in full in euros. Any bank or exchange fees are the responsibility of the student.
APPLICATION-EXAMINATION FEE
ACTIVE STUDENTS
It must reach the Accademia Chigiana at the same time as the application form. A copy of the transaction receipt showing the payment details should be attached to the online application.
PAYMENT
– bank transfer
– PayPal online
MAKE PAYMENT TO:
Fondazione Accademia Musicale Chigiana
IBAN – IT82C0103014200000001482216
BIC – PASCITMMSIE
Please indicate the student’s name and chosen course.
The payment can also be made online via Paypal by clicking the button below. Please indicate the student’s name and title of the course in the notes. The beneficiary e-mail address is contabilita@chigiana.it.
The application-examination fee is non-refundable.
Tuition Fees – Full Students
Allows attendance, may be paid in installments, non-refundable if attendance is interrupted. Daily tickets also available.
- 30% for attending a second course (not applicable to Orchestral Conducting)
- 45% for ensembles with at least one year of concert activity
The following exemptions are provided:
- For students of the Conservatorio di Siena “Rinaldo Franci” specifically selected under the agreement.
- For students of Italian Conservatories who, under specific agreements, are nominated by their respective Directors, even if they do not meet the ordinary formal requirements (please indicate adherence to the “Italian Conservatories Agreement” in the online enrollment form).
- For ensembles enrolling through Le Dimore del Quartetto for the String Quartet and Chamber Music courses.
- For students of the Civica Scuola di Musica Claudio Abbado, Conservatorio Bruno Maderna of Cesena, Conservatorio C. Pollini of Padua, Conservatorio Giulio Briccialdi of Terni, and Conservatorio Benedetto Marcello of Venice, as per agreements.
- For students granted fee exemptions indicated by Chigiana teachers.
- For students of the Conservatorio di Siena “Rinaldo Franci,” Conservatorio “G. Verdi” of Milan, Conservatorio “A. Pedrollo” of Vicenza, and Siena Jazz accepted as full students under agreements.
N.B. For students of the Civica Scuola di Musica Claudio Abbado, Conservatorio Bruno Maderna of Cesena, Conservatorio Giulio Briccialdi of Terni, Conservatorio Benedetto Marcello of Venice, and the Prague Conservatory, a 50% reduced tuition fee is required compared to the standard fee.
- For a limited number of students from the Conservatorio di Siena “R. Franci,” Conservatorio “G. Verdi” of Milan, Conservatorio “C. Pollini” of Padua, and Siena Jazz, as per agreements.
All full students who have attended lessons regularly will be issued certificates of attendance.
At the teachers’ discretion, merit diplomas and honor diplomas may also be awarded.
All Chigiana students (actives and auditors), provided they have a student card, will be admitted free of charge to the Final Class Concerts upon reservation of a complimentary ticket at the Students’ Office.
Auditors will also be entitled to discounts for tickets to other concerts of the Chigiana Academy Festival.
A limited number of free tickets for other concerts will be available only to active students, upon reservation at the Students’ Office.
| Corsi di perfezionamento
Master classes |
Allievi EFFETTIVI
Active Students |
Allievi UDITORI
Auditors |
| Singing | € 550 | € 275 |
| Guitar and Chamber Music with guitar | € 275 | € 140 |
| Guitar | € 250 | € 120 |
| Clarinet | € 330 | € 165 |
| Composition | € 300 | € 150 |
| Doublebass | € 330 | € 165 |
| Choral Conducting | € 300 | € 150 |
| Orchestral Conducting* | € 990 | € 495 |
| Flute | € 330 | € 165 |
| Organ Improvisation between Tradition and Creation | € 165 | € 85 |
| Oboe | € 220 | € 110 |
| Percussion | € 470 | € 230 |
| Piano | € 385 | € 190 |
| String Quartet and Chamber Music for piano and Strings | € 250 | € 120 |
| Trumpet | € 85 | € 40 |
| Viola | € 330 | € 165 |
| Violin (Ilya Gringolts)
Violin (Salvatore Accardo) |
€ 300
€ 440 |
€ 150
€ 220 |
| Cello (David Geringas)
Cello (Jean-Guihen Queyras) |
€ 360
€ 165 |
€ 175
€ 85 |
| New Sounds | ||
| Innovation in Chamber Music | € 165 | € 85 |
| Live electronics | € 275 | € 140 |
| Tabula Rasa. The Art of Improvvisation | € 165 | € 85 |
| Corsi
Master classes |
Allievi EFFETTIVI
Active Students |
Allievi UDITORI
Auditors |
| Baroque Singing (Abadie) | € 220 | € 120 |
| Baroque Singing (Mingardo) | € 220 | € 120 |
| Harpsichord, Basso Continuo and Fortepiano | € 220 | € 120 |
| Composition for Early instruments | € 220 | € 120 |
| Traverso | € 220 | € 120 |
| Baroque Oboe | € 220 | € 120 |
| Violin and Viola historical performance practice | € 220 | € 120 |
| Viola da gamba and viol consort | € 220 | € 120 |
| Baroque Cello | € 220 | € 120 |
Orchestral Conducting: One week €145, Daily €28
Other courses (>10 days): One week €70
The scholarships and awards listed below are granted by the Accademia Chigiana to students who distinguish themselves through merit, talent, and commitment in the Academy’s advanced courses, thanks to the generosity of public institutions, private organizations, and benefactors who support the promotion of art and musical culture among young generations.
The Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena provides a prize of €1,500, to be awarded to a student of the Viola Course taught by Masters Tabea Zimmermann and Sào Soulez-Larivière.
The “Giovanna Maniezzo” Award, named in honor of the external relations collaborator of the Accademia Chigiana who passed away prematurely in 2018, is granted thanks to the generous contribution of Prof. Avv. Marcello Clarich.
Thanks to the collaboration with Mediocredito Centrale and BdM Banca, in 2026 twenty scholarships, each worth €1,500, will be awarded to enrolled students residing in the Southern regions of Italy (Abruzzo, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Molise, Puglia, Sicily, and Sardinia).
The “Chigiana Conductors Scholarship”, worth €1,500, is reserved for enrolled students of the Orchestra Conducting Course. The award will be determined by the Academy based on the evaluation of the course instructors, who will select the most deserving student. The instructors’ decision is final and indisputable.
Two scholarships, provided by the Rotary Club Siena, each worth €1,500 gross, will be awarded to the following courses:
- Clarinet (Alessandro Carbonare)
- Cello (Jean-Guihen Queyras)
The award is final and not subject to dispute.
Chigiana – Soroptimist International of Siena” Scholarship supporting women’s access to advanced musical training
The Soroptimist International Club of Siena supports the project “Accademia Chigiana for Women”, whose aim is to promote gender equality and support access to advanced musical training for young female students, particularly in subjects where female participation is lower or that are more closely connected with STEAM (*) disciplines, in the belief that integrating science and art in education can lay the groundwork for genuine innovation.
The “Chigiana – Soroptimist International of Siena 2026” Scholarship, worth €1,500, will be awarded primarily to active female students of the Conducting course. Should there be no female students enrolled in this course, the scholarship may be awarded, subject to approval by the Soroptimist International Club, to another course, which will be announced immediately after the conclusion of the entrance examinations.
The scholarship will be awarded at the unquestionable discretion of the course instructor and the Artistic Director of the Accademia Chigiana.
(*) STEAM: English-language acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics.
Chigiana – Soroptimist International of Italy Network” Scholarship supporting women’s access to advanced musical training
For the year 2026, thanks to the Soroptimist International Club and the network of Soroptimist Clubs—which since the first edition has included the Clubs of Bergamo, Turin, Treviglio, Venice, Forlì and Milan Scala, with possible additional clubs joining for the present edition—a scholarship worth €1,200 will be awarded to promote female excellence in the field of music and to support the professional careers of young women composers.
The scholarship will be awarded to the most deserving female student attending the Composition Course (Salvatore Sciarrino) of the Summer Academy 2026, according to merit criteria established by the Accademia Chigiana and based on the indications of the course professor.
The “Chigiana – Soroptimist International of Italy Network 2026” Scholarship is primarily reserved for active female students of the Composition Course (Salvatore Sciarrino). Should there be no female students enrolled in this course, the scholarship may be awarded, subject to approval by the Soroptimist International Club, to another course, which will be announced immediately after the conclusion of the entrance examinations.
The scholarship will be awarded at the unquestionable discretion of the course instructor and the Artistic Director of the Accademia Chigiana.
“Pie Disposizioni” Scholarships
- Double Bass (Giuseppe Ettorre)
- Live Electronics (Alvise Vidolin, Nicola Bernardini)
- Organ Improvisation between Tradition and Creation (Thierry Escaich)
- Piano (Lilya Zilberstein)
- Violin (Ilya Gringolts)
The names of the recipients will be officially announced at the conclusion of each course. The awarding of the scholarships is final and not subject to dispute.
The “Emma Contestabile” Scholarships were established thanks to the “Emma Contestabile Fund”, created through her bequest to the Accademia Chigiana.
The Accademia Chigiana grants a scholarship for attendance of the Singing Course, taught by M° William Matteuzzi, to one of the winners of the “Francisco Viñas” International Singing Competition in Barcelona, upon recommendation of the competition jury.
The scholarship amount is €35 gross per day, in addition to exemption from the course fee.
Foreign students are required to take out a health insurance policy, which can be replaced by a consular declaration regarding the right to assistance under international agreements.
Students who are not from European Union countries may enter Italy presenting a passport and, where required, a visa issued in their country of origin. Once in Italy, they must apply for a residence permit, which will have the same purpose as indicated on the visa. A permit is not required if the stay for business, tourism, visits, or study is less than three months.
European Union citizens do not need a residence permit to stay in Italy.
The Academy provides study rooms equipped with pianos for Chigiana students, located in the building adjacent to Palazzo Chigi Saracini (July and August) and at the Conservatorio di Siena “R. Franci” (from 13 July to 8 August).
The Students’ Office will provide students with all the information needed to reserve the Study Rooms, which can be used during the masterclass period.
For personal piano rental at their accommodation in Siena, students can contact:
Ditta Checcacci – via Cesare Battisti, 10 – 53100 Siena
Tel. 0577 44521 / info@checcacci.it
The following facilities offer special rates for Chigiana students:
Via Camporegio, 37
Tel. 0577 44177
- 10% discount on the standard rate (www.hotelalmadomus.it)
N.B. To benefit from the discounted rate, indicate in the additional notes when booking: “10% off Chigiana.”
For bookings before March, send an email to info@hotelalmadomus.it
Discount does not apply to the “non-refundable” rate.
Via Baldassarre Peruzzi, 33/B
Tel. 0577 45100 / WhatsApp +39 392 2607096
info@portapispiniresidence.com
Via del Refugio, 4
Tel. 0577 236363
info@ilrefugio.com
Students – upon presenting their course enrollment card – can access the following services at discounted rates:
Mensa Sant’Agata – Via S. Agata, 1 – Tel. 0577 222592
Open every day: 12:00 – 15:00 and 19:00 – 21:30
https://www.dsu.toscana.it/-/sant-agata
via di Città, 89 – Tel. 335 811 5714
- 10% discount on all purchases
via di Città, 103 – Tel. 0577 41337
- 10% discount on all purchases
For information contact:
Università per Stranieri di Siena
Piazza Carlo Rosselli 27/28 – 53100 Siena
Tel. 0577 240100 / 11
E-mail: info@unistrasi.it
www.unistrasi.it
In case of discrepancies in the interpretation of the translation, the Italian text prevails.
STUDENT OFFICE HOURS
FROM 6 JULY TO 1 SEPTEMBER
Monday to Friday: 8:30 am – 5:00 pm
Saturday: 8:30 am – 11:30 am
Alternatively, please contact: allievi@chigiana.it

