Academy

Siena Jazz is a Higher Musical Training institution exclusively dedicated to Jazz education.

Founded by Franco Caroni in 1977, it is recognized as one of the landmark institutions in Europe for the promotion and development of jazz and its branches. Siena Jazz is also a founding member of the International Association of Schools of Jazz (I.A.S.J.)—a prestigious network of the world’s top jazz schools, with its headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands (https://www.iasj.com/).
The founding members of Siena Jazz include the Municipality of Siena, the Province of Siena, and the Siena Jazz Association (Associazione Jazzistica Senese).

The Academy has been officially recognized as a Training Agency, accredited by the Region of Tuscany under D.D.R.T. No. 1281 dated March 20th, 2006.

Furthermore, by Ministerial Decree No. 193 dated November 10th, 2011, it became the first non-state music institution in Italy to be authorized by the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) to issue degrees in Higher Artistic and Musical Education (AFAM – Alta Formazione Artistica e Musicale) for the three-year Bachelor’s degree in: Electric Bass, Jazz Drums and Percussion, Jazz Voice, Jazz Guitar, Jazz Clarinet, Jazz Double Bass, Jazz Piano, Jazz Saxophone, Jazz Trumpet, and Jazz Trombone. 

Finally, with Ministerial Decree No. 3315 dated December 13th, 2018, the Ministry also authorized Siena Jazz Academy to issue two-years Master’s degrees in the same disciplines as the three-year degree programs.  Starting in 2025, Siena Jazz launched a Third Cycle of studies, activating Italy’s first PhD program in Improvisation Languages in Contemporary Music.

Siena Jazz’s distinctive position on the international stage is its defining feature. Thanks to its history, the institute is recognized nationally as a representative for the educational needs of the sector and as a promoter of initiatives aimed at nurturing young talent. It also plays a key role in facilitating communication between national institutions and European and non-European academies.

Today, institutions dedicated to artistic education face the challenge of meeting the demands of a high-level training model that not only attracts young talents but also prepares them for a job market that is increasingly global. Jazz, by its very nature, is rooted in innovation as well as on nurturing each musician’s individual creativity and expressive voice.

At Siena Jazz, tradition and innovation are the strategic pillars for growth in music education. The institute is deeply aware of the importance of integrating the national arts and talent network into an international context.

Siena Jazz represents the foremost national institution for advanced musical training, offering a multistylistic approach to professional development in the field of jazz. It is no coincidence that the curricula of many of the most prominent Italian jazz musicians often include participation in the Academy’s programs and activities.

The institute is based in the Medici Fortress, where Siena Jazz carries out its activities in a 1,250-square-meter facility featuring 21 modern, fully equipped classrooms. It also houses a sound archive, library, and laboratory, together forming the Arrigo Polillo National Jazz Studies Center (https://centrostudi.sienajazz.it/).