X EDITION – PROFESSIONE ORCHESTRA
September 2026 – June 2027 | Torino e Pinerolo
Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della RAI – Fondazione Accademia di Musica
Instrument and chamber music lessons from section leaders of the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale RAI
Playing alongside the RAI orchestra in rehearsals for four concerts in the RAI 2026/2027 season
Scholarships awarded on merit for deserving students
Concerts in prestigious venues
10th year of the Professione Orchestra, the programme designed to train young musicians to work as professional members of an orchestra, developed through a partnership between the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale of the RAI national broadcasting network, famed for its concert performances ranging from the great classical repertorio to historic avantgarde and contemporary music, and the Fondazione Accademia di Musica, a school for advanced music teaching focused also on chamber music and orchestra repertoire.
Performing passages and solos from repertoire, perfecting flexibility of execution, developing the capacity to modulate their musical contribution in response to instructions from the conductors, as well as to those of the individual section leaders: these are just a few of the skills necessary for an orchestra professional. The course we offer covers all of these and more, providing young musicians under 30 with an authentic on-the-job training experience and with advanced music courses, which include lessons in instrument and in chamber music with section leaders from the RAI Orchestra Sinfonica.
Up to now the winners of scholarships for the Professione Orchestra project have taken part in 212 performance projects, working under eminent conductors like Marc Albrecht, Daniele Gatti, James Conlon, Juraj Valčuha, Ryan Bancroft, Leonidas Kavakos, John Axelrod, Andris Poga, Fabio Luisi, Kirill Petrenko, Dennis Russel Davies, Andrés Orozco-Estrada, Ottavio Dantone, Aram Khacheh and Robert Trevino. The outcomes of their attendance at the workshops have been very positive and significant for their careers. Approximately 40% have already obtained excellent results in competitions for places in orchestras in Italy and abroad. 20% are now working permanently with prestigious orchestras. The remaining 40% are still finishing their studies at Conservatories or music Academies (many of those who have taken part in the Professione Orchestra workshops are aged between 16 and 23, and are therefore still fully involved in training courses in musicianship).
The music training activities of Fondazione Accademia di Musica are supported by the contribution of Ministero della Cultura, Regione Piemonte, Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, Fondazione CRT.
COURSE CALENDAR
The project consists of two parts.
The 2026/27 workshops in violin, viola, cello, double bas, flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, timpani, percussion, harp are taught by the section leaders of the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale RAI: Alberto Barletta, Enrico Maria Baroni, Gabriele Bartezzati, Margherita Bassani, Marco Braito, Diego Di Mario, Matteo Flori, Francesco Giussani, Luca Magariello, Matteo Magli, Francesco Mattioli, Alessandro Milani, Luca Milani, Nicola Patrussi, Alessandro Maria Pogliani, Francesco Platoni, Emiliano Rossi, Alexander Grandal Hansen Schwartz, Gregorio Tuninetti, Ulijona Ula Zebriunaite, Biagio Zoli. Two weeks of workshops (21 – 26 September or 12 – 17 October 2026) to be held at Fondazione Accademia di Musica in Pinerolo and Auditorium RAI in Torino. Each workshop can be activated with 3 students minimum and will be structured as follows:
- 4 individual instrument lessons with Professors of Rai Orchestra
- rehearsal with the instrument section with Professors of Rai Orchestra
- seminary “How to deal with stage anxiety?”
- seminary and lessons of Alexander’s Technique
- meeting with Professors of Rai Orchestra
- a final assessment test which will be the simulation of an audition for a place in an orchestra.
ENROLL FOR ONE OR MORE WORKSHOPS >>
The best students from the workshops will be selected by the Artistic Committee (members are the Artistic Director of the Rai, the Artistic Director of the Accademia di Musica, one teacher from the academy and two section leaders from the Rai Orchestra) to take part in a year-long course that is completely free.
Each scholarship awarded is provided by Fondazione Accademia di Musica and will consist of:
- One individual instrument lesson (2 hours) per month, for 4 months with section leaders from the RAI Orchestra Sinfonica;
- playing alongside the RAI orchestra in rehearsals for four concerts in the RAI 2026/2027 season;
- 4 chamber music lessons held at Fondazione Accademia di Musica in Pinerolo taught by the section leaders from the RAI Orchestra Sinfonica;
- one concert insert in the Concert Season of OSN Rai and another in the Concert Season of the Fondazione Accademia di Musica (for the chamber music ensembles);
- covers all the partecipant’s expenses for travel and accommodation.
IMPORTANT: The deadline for registration is 3 September 2026 for Workshop I and 24 September for Workshop II. In both cases, you must apply using the form at the bottom of the workshop section. Before doing so, please read the 2026/27 Call for Applications carefully (available shortly in English) and sign up for our newsletter (you’ll find the form below) to stay informed!
You will find comments from students who have taken part in the Professione Orchestra project in past years here.
- Winners of scholarships for Professione Orchestra 2025/26 >>
- Winners of scholarships for Professione Orchestra 2024/25 >>
- Winners of scholarships for Professione Orchestra 2023/24 >>
- Winners of scholarships for Professione Orchestra 2022/23 >>
- Winners of scholarships for Professione Orchestra 2021/22 >>
- Winners of scholarships for Professione Orchestra 2020/21 >>
2026: THE CONCERTS
For any request we invite you to write to us at segreteria@accademiadimusica.it
Credits photo: Doc Servizi – Sergio Bertani / OSN Rai
