Accademia Internazionale "Incontri col Maestro”
Identity
The Accademia Internazionale di Imola — Incontri con il Maestro is a leading institution of advanced musical training, founded in 1989 with the aim of offering talented young musicians a path of higher study grounded in direct engagement with great performers and teachers. From its very beginnings, the Academy has built its identity around the idea of encounter: a continuous dialogue between master and student, founded on listening, individual work, and the transmission of artistic knowledge that goes beyond mere technique.
Over time, this approach has made Imola an international point of reference for musical training, particularly in the field of piano and instrumental performance. The Academy welcomes students from around the world, selected on merit, and offers programmes that combine individual study with masterclasses, concerts, and opportunities for public exchange.
The Academy's activities are situated within the system of Higher Artistic and Musical Education (AFAM), with qualifications recognised by the Ministry. The achievements of its students — prizes in international competitions and concert careers launched across Europe and beyond — attest to the solidity of its method and the continuity of its project over time.
Today the Academy represents one of the most significant cultural presences within the Osservanza, contributing to defining the complex as a place of study, cultural production, and everyday life.
What you can do at the Academy
Study
Attend courses and programmes of advanced musical training, based on personalised teaching and direct engagement with faculty and musicians of international standing.
Listen
Take part in concerts, series, and public performances that form part of the Academy's activities and open its teaching work to the city.
Live
Pursue your studies within a context that integrates teaching, daily practice, and community life, thanks to the student residence located within the same building.
The Academy at Osservanza
The new home of the Accademia Internazionale di Imola is located in Pavilion 1 of the Osservanza complex. The spaces, which have undergone a process of restoration and repurposing, have been designed to meet the needs of high-level musical training: teaching rooms, rehearsal spaces, areas for individual study, and spaces dedicated to listening and performance.
The student residence is also housed within the same building — a choice that reinforces the everyday dimension of the educational experience. Living and studying in the same place encourages concentration, continuity, and exchange among students, restoring to the learning process an immersive rather than episodic quality.
The presence of the Academy at the Osservanza contributes to defining the character of the complex as an inhabited and frequented space, where cultural production coexists with other public functions and with the park. Music thus becomes part of a broader ecosystem that unites memory, education, innovation, and services, strengthening the Osservanza's role as a place of shared knowledge and growth.