Presentation
The course is intended for advanced students who wish to deepen and specialize in advanced aspects of electronic music through an individualized course of study. The program is designed for students who have already developed creative work using electronic media and acquired adequate proficiency in computer music and electroacoustic technologies. The topics covered change from year to year and draw on innovative studies and international resources in the field of contemporary creation and communication.
The course lasts one academic year and is organized into monthly sessions; each student receives a total of 12 hours of individual lessons, 3 of which are workshop-based, in addition to participating, either in person or remotely, in the lessons of the other students on the course.
Lessons are held in the Paolo Ketoff Studio at the Auditorium Parco della Musica “Ennio Morricone” in Rome, or at another venue of the National Academy of Santa Cecilia. Workshop activities may be carried out with the possible assistance of musicians.
At the end of the course, students are expected to produce an original composition and/or an experimental thesis on the topic covered during the course, and the National Academy of Santa Cecilia will issue a Certificate of Merit, subject to regular attendance at lessons and the scheduled teaching and artistic activities.
Teacher
Michelangelo Lupone
Admission
Admission requirements – Specialist Module
- Age not exceeding 35 years;
- A Conservatory Diploma (old system) or a First- or Second-Level Diploma in Electronic Music, or an Advanced Diploma in Composition from the National Academy of Santa Cecilia, with specific skills demonstrable in the candidate’s CV.
Exceptions to the above requirements may be granted in the presence of proven skills and/or students who can demonstrate previous creative activity in the specific field.
Admission as active students is subject to passing an entrance examination.
Applications – Specialist Module
Applications, submitted online by completing the form at the following link https://santacecilia.it/alta-formazione/form-di-iscrizione-corsi-di-perfezionamento, must be received by 21 September 2026. Confirmation of submission will be provided by the notification sent by the Academy.
The following documents must be attached to the online application:
- Diploma certificate or request for an exemption referring to the CV;
- Artistic CV specifying the works completed;
- Photocopy of passport or other identity document;
- Examination program chosen by the candidate (title of the work presented);
- Receipt for payment of the entrance examination fee.
Entrance examination program and procedures – Specialist Track
- Presentation of an electroacoustic composition;
- Oral assessment of competencies in the course subjects.
Candidates must send the score of the work they intend to present at the examination in PDF format; if available, recordings of the compositions may also be attached to the scores.
The scores and any recordings must be sent via WeTransfer to the following address
e-mail didattica@santacecilia.it by 21 September 2026
Entrance examinations will be held in the spaces of the Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone in Rome, Monday 5 October 2026.
Candidates must present themselves with an identity document and the musical materials previously submitted for admission.
The results of the entrance examinations will be announced on the same day; no supplementary examination sessions are provided. If the number of eligible candidates exceeds the places available, those who obtain the highest marks in the entrance examinations will be admitted to the course.
The decision of the Examination Board is final and may not be appealed.
Course Summary for Academic Year 2026 – 2027
| Electronic Music Course
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Specialist Module
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| Duration
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November 2026 – July 2027
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| Maximum number of students
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4 – four
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| Admission requirements
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Conservatory Diploma in Electronic Music (old system); or a First- or Second-Level Diploma in Electronic Music; or a Diploma from the Advanced Course in Composition (ANSC); or proven competencies in the subjects of the course.
|
| Entrance examination
|
Presentation of an electroacoustic composition with an oral assessment of competencies in the subjects of the course.
|
| Type of lesson
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Individual in-person lessons and group participation
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| Approach
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Theoretical and practical composition, with algorithmic design and implementation.
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| Final assessment
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Original composition and/or experimental thesis on the topic of the course.
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| Lesson hours per student
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12 |
| Workshop hours per student – support for the realization of the original composition and/or the experimental thesis.
|
3 – the hours take place in the Paolo Ketoff Studio, also with possible instrumentalists, or in another venue equipped for the purpose.
|
| Study plan – subjects – Year 2026-27
|
|
| Acoustic and vibrational analysis of musical instruments
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| Sensor detection and musical applications
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|
| Extended performance techniques
|
|
| Algorithmic design and implementation
|
|
| Original composition and/or experimental thesis
|
|
| Reference bibliography – Year 2026-27
|
|
| Neville H. Fletcher, Thomas D. Rossing, The Phisics of Musical Instruments, Springer-Verlag, New York, 1991 | |
| Harry F. Olson, Music, Physics and Engineering, Dover Publication, New York, 1967 | |
| Arthur H. Benade, Fundamentals of Musical Acoustics, Dover Publications, 1990 | |
| Renato Spagnolo, Acoustics, UTET, Novara, 2015
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| Instructor’s handouts
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N.B. Students must have a class i7 computer or higher in order to carry out the musical design and production work.
The working platforms used in the course are Pure Data and Max/MSP.
References to programming languages (C, C++, Python), the Linux operating system, and systems based on Advanced RISC Machines (ARM) technology are taken into consideration and, where appropriate, applied according to the specific requirements of the original composition and/or the experimental thesis.
Fees
For entrance examination and attendance
- € 50.00 entrance examination fee;
- € 1,500.00 annual attendance fee.
All payments may be made, indicating “Electronic Music Course – Specialist Module” as the payment reference, by means of:
- bank transfer
account no. 9872 in the name of Fondazione Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (BNL), Branch no. 6340 Rome, Via del Tritone, 31
IBAN: IT31 I 010 0503 2400 0000 0009 872
SWIFT: BIC BNL IITRR - PayPal on the Foundation’s website (https://santacecilia.it/alta-formazione/paypal/)
Students who are not up to date with fee payments will not be admitted to examinations or classes.
Proof of payment of the attendance fee must be sent to the Academic Secretariat before the start of classes.
Students may pay the attendance fee in two equal instalments, the second due by 1 March.
Withdrawal from the course does not entitle the student to a refund of any amounts paid.
Information and contacts
Academic office (Segreteria Didattica)
Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Via Vittoria, 6 – 00187 Roma
Tel: +39 0632817.348 – 321 – 305
E-mail: didattica@santacecilia.it
Please forward all requests and communications by e-mail to the academic office (Segreteria Didattica), specifying the purpose of the request for quicker handling.
Certificates of attendance or other kind of certificates can be requested by the form:
https://santacecilia.it/alta-formazione/richiesta-certificato/