international Academy of Music

June 27 – July 11, 2026

The International Academy of Music Festival is one of the three European festivals affiliated with the renowned Summit Music Festival in New York.

Unlock Your Musical Potential at Our Festival

Join us for an unforgettable musical journey with renowned professors from around the world. Whether you're a pianist, violinist, violist, or cellist, you'll gain invaluable insight, hands-on experience, and the opportunity to perform alongside like-minded musicians. At our festival, we are proud to present an exceptional group of instructors, each recognized as an expert in their field. These world-class faculty members are dedicated to nurturing your growth as a musician. Below, you'll find our faculty, organized by instrument. Each of them is committed to providing personalized guidance and mentoring to help you reach your full potential.

The deadline for registration is May 30th.

Meet the Professors

Piano professors

Massimiliano Mainolfi

Hochschule für Musik - Nürnberg

Irina Nuzova

Special Music School - NY

Antonio Pompa-Baldi

Cleveland Institute of Music

Violin & Viola professors

Dmitri Berlinsky

Michigan state University

Sharon Gayoung Cho

Rutgers University

Julia Meynert

Rivers School Conservatory Boston

Maurizio Sciarretta

Conservatorio “Maderna–Lettimi” — Rimini

Jinyoung Park - Kim

Mannes College - New School NY

Jungwon Yoon

Manhattan School of Music - NY

Violoncello professors

Ruslan Biryukov

RusLan Conservatory - San Diego

Velleda Miragias

Rivers School Conservatory Boston

La storia del Festival

L’International Academy of Music Festival è un grande evento culturale che propone, ogni anno, decine di concerti di musica da camera e jazz: protagonisti sono alcuni tra i migliori artisti del panorama nazionale e internazionale, oltre a giovani talenti selezionati nei conservatori di tutto il mondo.

Il tutto nella cornice di una splendida cittadina toscana: nei giorni del Festival, la musica vive nei teatri, nei castelli e nelle piazze di Castelnuovo di Garfagnana!

The directors of the festival
Massimiliano Mainolfi
Piero Gaddi

28 - 29 June

Miles Davis & John Coltrane Jazz Century Celebration

Giuseppe Borea - 28 June

Conference: Miles Davis, the Picasso of Jazz 
Musicologist and founder of the Piacenza Jazz Club, Borea is a renowned expert in African American culture and the works of Bill Evans. A professor of Jazz Analysis at the Milestone School of Music, he has published several works, including 365+1 Days of Jazz. He leads masterclasses for Italy’s top conservatories and serves on the artistic committee of the Piacenza Jazz Association.

Lorenzo de Finti Quartet- 28 June

Live Performance 
An elite ensemble blending the lyricism of Nordic jazz with rock-infused energy, the quartet is led by pianist and composer Lorenzo De Finti. Signed to the Norwegian label Losen Records, the group is recognized as one of the most original voices in contemporary European jazz. Their latest album, Backlash of Uncertainty (2025), delivers a refined and international acoustic sound.

Stefano Zenni - 29 June

Conference: John Coltrane’s "A Love Supreme" – From Manuscript to Recording 
One of the world’s most influential musicologists, Zenni holds the chair of Jazz History at the Bologna Conservatory and is the Artistic Director of the Torino Jazz Festival. Author of the monumental History of Jazz: A Global Perspective, he is a regular contributor to Rai Radio3 and the Treccani Encyclopedia. He is also a Grammy Award nominee for his album liner notes.

Tin Trio - 29 June

Live Performance
Bringing together Marco Tindiglia, Ferruccio Spinetti, and Mattia Barbieri, the Tin Trio features three prominent figures of Italian jazz with decades of international experience. Characterized by elegant lyricism and a warm guitar tone, the group debuted in 2025 with the album The Wait. Their music fuses technical mastery with a profound and engaging melodic interplay.

International Academy of Music Highlights

Let’s relive the highlights of the twenty-first edition of the International Academy of Music.

Le nostre location

The festival takes place mainly in the historic center of Castelnuovo di Garfagnana (LU), but several other areas of the valley are involved: below, a gallery of some of the most evocative locations of our concerts, both from the 2024 edition and from past ones.

Teatro Alfieri

Castelnuovo di Garfagnana

Saletta Suffredini

Castelnuovo di Garfagnana

Rocca Ariostesca

Castelnuovo di Garfagnana

Palazzo comunale

Borgo a Mozzano

Isola Santa

Careggine

Chiesa di S. Sisto e Margherita

Villa Collemandina

Agriturismo Tripala

Minucciano

fortezza di mont'alfonso

Castelnuovo di Garfagnana

Some photos from the festival

Some of the top musicians we've hosted

  • Arkady Aronov 
  • Suren Bagratuni 
  • Dmitri Berlinsky 
  • Irina Chichina
  • Victor Danchenko
  • Sergei Edelmann
  • Alessandra Gentile
  • Jacob Gilman
  • Victoria Gorodetsky
  • Emanuel Gruber
  • Scott Hamilton
  • Phillip Kawin
  • Chin Kim
  • Yuri Kim
  • Mikhail Kopelman
  • Boris Kuschnir
  • Myioko Lotto
  • Shirley Love
  • Pier Narciso Masi
  • Ivan Mazuze
  • Mikhail Milman
  • Oxana Yablonskaya
  • Paolo Fresu
  • Jason Rebello
  • Flavio Boltro
  • Bjorn Solli
  • Marco Micheli
  • Mattia Zappa
  • Andrea Oliva
  • Dino Rubino
  • Ares Tavolazzi
  • Emanuele Cisi
  • Daniele di Bonaventura
  • Eleonora Strino
  • Nie Xin
  • Hu Chao

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