SCHOLARSHIPS AND AWARDS
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.

“Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena” Award
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 purpose of the Award is to allow the recipient to continue their studies with greater ease and to further refine their musical skills. The Award, indivisible, will be granted at the final and indisputable judgment of the Artistic Director, M° Nicola Sani, and the course instructors.

“Giovanna Maniezzo” Award
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.

The Award, worth €1,500 gross, will be conferred upon a student or an ensemble of students attending the Summer Courses who, at the final and indisputable judgment of the internal commission chaired by the Artistic Director and based on instructors’ recommendations, in addition to possessing excellent technical and interpretative skills, demonstrate particular aptitude and ability in enhancing their professional image, promoting their artistic activity, performing publicly, and communicating effectively with others.

The Academy will announce the name of the winning student or ensemble at the conclusion of all summer courses.

Scholarships for Young Musical Talents from Southern Italy “Mediocredito Centrale and BdM Banca”
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 scholarships will be awarded by the Artistic Direction of the Accademia Chigiana, based on instructors’ recommendations, taking into account candidates’ merit and artistic potential.

The names of the scholarship recipients will be announced at the conclusion of the Summer Academy 2026. The awarding of the scholarships is final and indisputable.

“Chigiana Conductors Scholarship”
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.

“Rotary Club Siena” Scholarships
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 scholarships will be awarded to enrolled students of the Accademia Chigiana at the final and indisputable judgment of the instructors and the Artistic Director.
The award is final and not subject to dispute.

“Accademia Chigiana – Soroptimist International of Siena” Scholarship to support female access to advanced musical training
The Soroptimist International Club of Siena supports the project “Accademia Chigiana for Women”, which aims to promote gender equality and facilitate access to advanced musical training for young female students, particularly in fields with lower female participation or those closely related to STEAM disciplines (*), believing that the integration of science and art in education can lay the foundation for genuine innovation.

The “Chigiana – Soroptimist International of Italy 2026” Scholarship is primarily reserved for female students enrolled in the Orchestra Conducting Course. If no female students are enrolled in this course, the Scholarship may, with the approval of the Soroptimist International Club, be assigned to another course, which will be communicated immediately after the admission exams.

The Scholarship, worth €1,500, will be awarded by the Academy, based on the instructor’s recommendation, to the most deserving female student attending the Orchestra Conducting Course of Summer Academy 2026. The scholarship will be awarded at the final and indisputable judgment of the instructor and the Artistic Director of the Accademia Chigiana.

(*) STEAM: acronym for Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics.

“Soroptimist International Club of Italy” Scholarship to support female access to advanced musical training
In 2026, thanks to the Soroptimist International Club of Siena and the national network of Soroptimist Clubs—which since the first edition included the Clubs of Bergamo, Turin, Treviglio, Venice, Forlì, and Milan Scala, with possible additional participation for this edition—a scholarship worth €1,200 will be awarded to promote female excellence in music and support the professional careers of young composers.

The scholarship will be granted to the most deserving female student attending the Composition Course (Salvatore Sciarrino) of Summer Academy 2026, according to merit criteria established by the Accademia Chigiana and the course instructor’s recommendations.

The “Chigiana – Soroptimist International of Italy 2026” Scholarship is primarily reserved for female students enrolled in the Composition Course (Salvatore Sciarrino). If no female students are enrolled, the Scholarship may, with the approval of the Soroptimist International Club, be assigned to another course, which will be communicated immediately after the admission exams.
The scholarship will be awarded at the final and indisputable judgment of the instructor and the Artistic Director of the Accademia Chigiana.

“Pie Disposizioni” Scholarships
In 2026, five scholarships will be awarded, generously provided by the Società di Esecutori di Pie Disposizioni of Siena, for the following courses:

• 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 scholarships will be awarded at the final and indisputable judgment of the instructors and the Artistic Director of the Accademia Chigiana, based on instructors’ recommendations and, where appropriate, considering the specific needs of the candidates.
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.

“Emma Contestabile” Scholarships
The “Emma Contestabile” Scholarships were established thanks to the “Emma Contestabile Fund”, created through her bequest to the Accademia Chigiana.

The scholarships are intended to support the professional development of the Academy’s students, fostering the growth of their artistic and professional skills.

The scholarships will be awarded at the final and indisputable judgment of the Artistic Direction of the Accademia Chigiana, which may grant them to students of the courses based on merit and needs. The award is final and not subject to dispute.

Other Scholarships
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.

 

Note: Payment of the scholarship and/or reimbursement of any previously paid course fees will be made at the end of the attended course.

 

FEES
All fees must be paid in full in euros. Any bank or exchange fees are the responsibility of the student.

Application and Examination Fee
Payable at the time of enrollment. Proof of payment must be attached online.

Bank transfer details:
Fondazione Accademia Musicale Chigiana, Account no. 14822.16, Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, IBAN IT82C0103014200000001482216, BIC PASCITMMSIE, indicating name and chosen course.
Alternatively, payment via PayPal link to contabilita@chigiana.it.
Non-refundable. One fee suffices for multiple courses.

Tuition Fees – Full Students
Payable before classes begin. Non-refundable if the student leaves voluntarily. Exemption refunds applied if awarded later.

Tuition Fees – Auditors
Allows attendance, may be paid in installments, non-refundable if attendance is interrupted. Daily tickets also available.

Reductions for full students

• 30% for attending a second course (not applicable to Orchestral Conducting)
• 45% for ensembles with at least one year of concert activity

EXEMPTIONS
The following exemptions are provided:

Application and Examination Fee

• 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.

Tuition Fees for Full Students

• 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.

Tuition Fees for Auditors

• 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.

CERTIFICATES OF ATTENDANCE AND DIPLOMAS
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.

TICKETS FOR ACADEMY CONCERTS
All Chigiana students (full 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.
They will also be entitled to discounts for tickets to other concerts of the Chigiana Academy Festival.
Additionally, a limited number of free tickets for other concerts will be available only to full students, upon reservation at the Students’ Office.