Teacher
Benedetto Lupo
Regulations 2026-2027
Admission
Admission requirements
- The course is open to musicians of any nationality born form 1998 onwards.
- Candidates must possess a 1st or 2nd Level Degree or Conservatory Diploma (old Italian system) in Piano. If the degree was obtained abroad, it will be considered valid if it has been declared equivalent to a Degree or Conservatory diploma; it is the responsibility of any student admitted to a course to obtain the equivalence of the foreign qualification, pursuant to applicable Italian laws.
Exceptions to these requirements may be permitted only in exceptional cases, in the event of special, recognized artistic qualities and subject to the evaluation and approval of both the teacher and the Academic Board.
Provided that the above requirements are met, admission to the course is subject to an entrance examination.
Applications for admission
Applications for admission must be submitted online (form https://santacecilia.it/en/master-courses/form-di-iscrizione-corsi-di-perfezionamento) by no later than the 12th July 2026.
Proof of the application being successfully sent will consist of the e-mail notification sent by the Accademia.
The following documents must be attached to the online application:
- diploma certificate
- artistic CV and list of studied repertoire;
- examination programme at the candidate’s choice;
- photocopy of passport or other identification document;
- proof of payment of the examination admission fee.
Entrance examination
Programme
- one Studio by Chopin or Liszt;
- a Sonata chosen among those by Beethoven, Clementi, Haydn, Mozart;
- two important compositions for piano of different styles, at the candidate’s choice.
Mode
Entrance examinations will be held at the Academy’s headquarters at Via Vittoria 6 (Rome); in accordance with the number of applicants, on 22 or 23 September 2026. Candidates will receive an e-mail concerning date and schedule.
The candidates shall appear at the examination bearing a valid identification document, as well as the musical material for their examination programme.
The Examination Panel may ask the candidates to perform all or part of the programme.
The pieces shall be prepared in full and performed from memory.
The Panel may ask the candidates to describe the motivations and objectives connected to attending the course.
No alternative examination dates will be offered.
Duration
The course lasts three years and includes the following exams:
- two intermediate exams (promotion from the 1st to the 2nd year and from the 2nd to the 3rd year);
- a chamber music exam, mandatory for solo instrument students (during the 2nd of the course);
- a diploma exam at the end of the 3rd year of attendance.
The diploma exam can be brought forward to the end of the second year only in exceptional cases, subject to approval by the Academic Board.
Attendance
Each academic year shall comprise twenty-five days of lessons delivered by the Professor. Students shall be required to attend a minimum of twelve individual lessons per year, in addition to all collective and artistic activities included within the curriculum.
Attendance schedules are agreed directly with the Professor. Any Inability to attend one or more scheduled lessons shall be communicated to the Professor and to the Academic Office (Segreteria Didattica: didattica@santacecilia.it) as far in advance as possible, in order to facilitate rescheduling where possible.
Repeated and/or unjustified absences may result in the exclusion from the progression to the next academic year or Diploma examinations.
In the event of interruption due to certified health reasons, the student may be permitted to repeat the interrupted academic year in the subsequent year, subject to submission of appropriate medical documentation. Suspension of attendance for educational or artistic reasons shall not be permitted. In cases of voluntary withdrawal, a new application for admission shall be required, and the entrance examination must be undertaken again.
Students are required to inform their Professor of any external educational and/or artistic commitments during the course. In the case where, students enrolled in other courses are asked to submit a certificate of enrolment of the attended courses (2nd level / master programmes, etc.).
Chamber music examination
To access the Diploma examination, students enrolled in solo instrument courses must also take, during the second year of attendance, a Chamber Music examination.
The exam will consist of the study and performance of a chamber music piece, in collaboration with other students and Teachers of the courses, on the occasion of a Concert scheduled during the academic year in Auditorium Parco della Musica.
This exam/Concert will be prepared by Maestro Andrea Lucchesini, who will define the programs and methods.
The following students are exempted from the exam (but not excluded from participating, if they wish):
- who already hold a diploma from the Santa Cecilia Academy Chamber Music course;
- who are enrolled on and currently attending the Santa Cecilia Chamber Music course;
- who, in instrumental courses, collaborate with a Chamber Music ensemble for the preparation and performance of the diploma examination.
Chamber Music courses attended at other Institutions shall not be considered for the purposes of exemption.
Progression examinations
At the end of each year of attendance, students shall take an examination for confirmation and promotion to the subsequent course year, with the programmes indicated below.
Progression from course year I to II
The examination is composed of several parts; assessment of each part shall go towards determining the final examination grade. The examination is subject to the following repertoire indications:
- Performance of a programme for piano solo consisting of three significant and published pieces, one chosen from the repertoire composed up to 1811, one chosen from the repertoire composed from 1812 to 1900 and one chosen from the repertoire composed from 1901 to the present day. The programme shall be prepared in full and performed from memory. The Panel may request the performance of all or part of the submitted programme.
- Performance of a work for piano and orchestra, from the Baroque/classical or the romantic/modern repertoire, prepared in full and performed from memory. The Panel may request the performance of all or part of the submitted programme, based also on the duration of the piece or for organizational reasons. The student who submits a work for piano and orchestra from the Baroque/classical period at the examination for promotion from the first to the second year shall be required to submit a work for piano and orchestra from the romantic/modern repertoire at the examination for promotion from the second to the third year, and vice versa.
- Accompaniment of a work for piano and orchestra. The Panel may request the performance of all or part of the submitted programme, based on the assessments already expressed under point 2) above.
Progression from course year II to III
The examination consists of two parts; assessment of each part shall go towards determining the final examination grade. Pieces performed in the examination for promotion from year I to year II may not be repeated. The examination is subject to the following repertoire indications:
- Performance of a programme for piano solo consisting of three significant and published pieces (different from those of the previous year), one chosen from the repertoire composed up to 1811, one chosen from the repertoire composed from 1812 to 1900 and one chosen from the repertoire composed from 1901 to the present day. The programme shall be prepared in full and performed from memory. The Panel may request the performance of all or part of the submitted programme.
- Performance of a work for piano and orchestra, from the Baroque/classical or the romantic/modern repertoire, prepared in full and performed from memory. The Panel may request the performance of all or part of the submitted programme, based also on the piece’s duration and formal organization. The student who submitted a work for piano and orchestra from the Baroque/classical period at the examination for promotion from the first year to the second shall be required to submit a work for piano and orchestra from the romantic/modern repertoire at the examination for promotion from the second year to the third, and vice versa.
- Accompaniment of a work for piano and orchestra. The Panel may request the performance of all or part of the submitted programme, based on the assessments already expressed under point 2) above.
Should a student fail to pass a promotion examination, he/she shall be entitled to re-apply for admission to the course only after one academic year has passed.
Diploma examination
Public performance of a concert programme, of the duration of about one hour, composed of at least three important pieces from the instrument’s repertoire, chosen by the President of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia from among three entirely different programme proposals, which the candidate must present, subject to the approval of the teacher, no later than the date established and communicated at the beginning of the academic year. The chosen programme will be communicated to the candidate 40 (forty) days before the diploma examination. The programme must be performed in full and from memory.
The programme will also include a short piece that will be assigned by the Academic Board 40 (forty) days before the examination date.
Decisions made by Examination Panels for admissions, promotions and diplomas are final and indisputable.
Fees
Examination and attendance fees
- € 50.00 entrance examination;
- € 950.00 yearly attendance (In the case of simultaneous enrolment in the Chamber Music course, one of the two fees is reduced to €800.00.);
- € 100.00 progression examination;
- € 250.00 diploma examination.
Students who have not paid their tuition and examination fees in full will not be admitted to lessons or examinations.
All payments, specifying as reason “Piano Course,” may be made via:
- wire transfer
c/c n. 9872, made out to Fondazione Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia
Banca Nazionale del Lavoro (BNL) Agenzia n. 6340 di Roma, Via del Tritone, 31
IBAN: IT31 I 010 0503 2400 0000 0009 872
SWIFT: BIC BNL IITRR - Paypal on Fondazione’s website at this link https://santacecilia.it/alta-formazione/paypal
Proof of payment of the attendance fee must be submitted to the Academic Office within 15 days of admission (Segreteria didattica: didattica@santacecilia.it). The attendance fee may be paid in two equal instalments, the second of which will be due no later than 1 March.
Withdrawal from the course shall not entitle the student to a refund of any fees paid.
Scholarships
For the Academic Year 2026-2027, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, thanks to the contribution of the Boris Christoff Foundation, has approved the allocation of Scholarships for students of the Advanced Courses with the aim of providing concrete support for attending the academic path. The relevant Regulations with the allocation criteria will be published shortly.
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
All requests and communications to the academic office (Segreteria didattica) should be e-mailed to didattica@santacecilia.it specifying the purpose of the request for quicker handling.