Cremona - Accademia Stauffer
The Stauffer Foundation is a private institution devoted to the promotion and preservation of musical and cultural heritage. It was established in 1970 by Walter Stauffer, a visionary Swiss-Italian entrepreneur and philanthropist deeply connected with Cremona. The mission of the Foundation is to foster the teaching of string instruments, to support musicological research and to safeguard the violin-making tradition that has made Cremona world-famous. It also supports some of the most important musical institutions in Cremona, including the International School of Violin Making, the “Museo del Violino Antonio Stradivari” Foundation and the Department of Musicology and Cultural Heritage of the University of Pavia.
The main activity of the Foundation is the Stauffer Academy, founded in 1985 by Salvatore Accardo and Andrea Mosconi (then Artistic Director of the Monteverdi Festival). Accardo — who continues to lead the Advanced Violin Course — brought together some of Italy’s most distinguished musicians of the time. United by a shared educational vision, Bruno Giuranna (Viola), Rocco Filippini (Cello) and Franco Petracchi (Double Bass) enthusiastically joined the faculty.
In 2010, the Academy introduced a String Quartet Course, led by the Quartetto di Cremona (Cristiano Gualco, Paolo Andreoli, Simone Gramaglia and Giovanni Scaglione). Antonio Meneses led the Cello Course from 2015 until 2024, the year in which his position was taken over by Frans Helmerson. That same year, Alberto Bocini joined the Academy as the Double Bass Professor.
One of its most remarkable recent additions is the Concertmaster Course, led by distinguished Leaders of the major European orchestras and renowned conductors. Moreover, the Academy’s educational offer includes numerous masterclasses with great musicians of the international scene, collaborations with leading musical institutions from all over the world, and artistic projects, focused on concert performance.
Equally outstanding is the Stauffer’s organizational model: the courses have always been tuition-free, thus ensuring accessibility and support for young musicians. Students are hosted at Palazzo Stauffer, a beautifully restored facility functional to music education.
Contact
Suanno Angelica
Stauffer Academy
Palazzo Stauffer
Via San Martino 6
26100 Cremona
Italy