OVERVIEW
The C-GAP 4-WEEK VOICE AND CHAMBER MUSIC (Study Abroad Program) is a distinctive voice and chamber music intensive program designed for undergraduate students. It seeks to prepare the young musician to take on a transformative, challenging role as an artist in the 21st century. The program is hybrid in format, with the first week conducted online and the remaining three weeks held in person in the inspiring setting of Siena, Italy.
The C-GAP 4-WEEK VOICE AND CHAMBER MUSIC is part of the Chigiana Global Academy Programs (C-GAP). The program partners with the Accademia Musicale Chigiana and with several US faculty and universities.
Students from ANY academic institutions can apply and petition to receive credit for their coursework. Students have attended our program from SMU, USC, UCLA, CU Boulder, Oberlin Conservatory, Ithaca College, Princeton, University of Toronto, among other universities.
Students will enhance their artistic skills through pre-professional experiences both in class and by performing in historical venues in Siena and around Italy.
What does the program offer?
The C-GAP 4-WEEK VOICE AND CHAMBER MUSIC is an intensive opportunity to study abroad in Siena, Italy at the world renowned Accademia Musicale Chigiana. The program is tailored towards undergraduate students at U.S. universities and offers classes in performance studies (individual lessons), music history, vocal coaching, chamber music and music history. Participants will leave the Accademia Chigiana with course credit and a recording of the final concert.
Performance majors will participate in individual lessons and chamber music coachings in addition to performing in multiple concerts as part of the program’s festival Primavera Chigiana. Students are also given the opportunity to study Italian language through daily morning lessons with our dedicated instructor. Participants will also perform in the aperitivo concert series, an informal 15-20 minute nightly concert at the ChigianArtCafè.
Led by Dean and Program Director Dr. Antonio Artese, the outstanding faculty is comprised of internationally recognized professional artists from a variety of backgrounds and disciplines.
Who should apply?
We invite applications from undergraduate students and those who have recently completed their undergraduate degree (2025 graduating class). Graduate students are also welcome. Applicants should be in good academic standing and have a GPA of at least 2.75 on a 4.0 scale. Students from historically underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply.
The Program is open to all students from any accredited institution of higher learning and offers space to a maximum of 12 students.
INSTRUMENTS
Instruments admitted for the 2025 C-GAP Summer Program are:
- Voice
- Strings
- Piano (vocal accompanists)
PROGRAM TUITION AND FEES
Program Tuition & Fees – $4,000.00 (4-week program)
March 15th – $500 deposit due (applied directly to program fees)
May 1st – Tuition balance due.
Fees DO NOT include: travel to/from Italy, return airport transfer, regular meals, international phone plan, optional weekend travel, instrument rental.
We encourage students to explore financial aid and scholarship opportunities at their home university and through external funding sources. We are available to provide additional program information to students applying for grants and scholarships.
Partial scholarships are available from the Accademia Chigiana and the U.S. non-profit “Friends of Chigiana”.
2025 SUMMER PROGRAM – 4 WEEKS HYBRID (1 week online + 3 weeks in presence in Siena, Italy)
MAY 19 – JUNE 15, 2025
ONLINE ORIENTATION via Zoom
SATURDAY, MAY 3, 2025 at 12:00 PM (noon) EST
ARRIVA IN SIENA:
SUNDAY, MAY 24, 2025 by 7:00 PM
ON-SITE ORIENTATION:
MONDAY, MAY 25, 2025 – 10 AM – 12 PM
All students MUST be present at all orientations!
WELCOME DINNER:
MONDAY, MAY 26th 7:30 PM
PROGRAM ENDS:
SUNDAY JUNE 15, 2025
FINAL CONCERT JUNE 14, 2025 7:30PM
All students are required to attend the final concert.
FAREWELL DINNER:
SATURDAY, JUNE 14, 2025 7:30 PM
STUDENTS VACATE APARTMENTS:
SUNDAY, JUNE 15th by noon
IMPORTANT DATES
C-GAP SUMMER PROGRAM 2025
(hybrid: 1 week online – 3 weeks in presence in Siena)
Application Deadline: March 1st, 2025
Program Dates: May 19 – June 15, 2025
Students arrive in Siena: May 24, 2025
Students depart: June 15, 2025
Credits: 3 semester credits
PERFORMANCE STUDIES
(2 credits)
Weekly private lessons, rehearsals and coaching in solo instrument and chamber music, master classes led by international faculty and guest artists. Concerts in Siena, participation in the Primavera Chigiana Festival, provide an intense, formative experience for promising, young musicians.
MUSIC HISTORY
(1 credits)
The course in Music History (Italian Opera Masters) will be enhanced by cultural visits to museums and libraries in Siena, Florence, and a field trip to Venice, Italy.
ITALIAN LANGUAGE
(optional – no credit)
An efficient Italian language course for beginners to advanced students especially designed for the musician.
All courses will be taught in English by local and visiting faculty/artists.
Classes are held Monday-Thursday, and some weekends will be free of program commitments.
Participants will have private lessons and multiple coachings every week with an International Faculty, opportunities for performances in Siena, and other prestigious locations in Italy, as well as, an enriching cultural experience abroad.
ARTISTIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Over the last five centuries, generations of students, scholars, and artists have been inspired by the Italian Renaissance.
Examining artistic entrepreneurialism from both historical and current perspectives will at once empower and inspire students, thus preparing them to take on a transformative, challenging role as artists in the 21st Century.