The Three-Year Course, reserved for students aged between 20 and 26, aims to train pianists capable of pursuing a concert career, through the acquisition of comprehensive knowledge of piano repertoire and the specific methodological tools of the performer.

The Three-Year Course includes a total of 40 hours of lessons per academic year and lessons are held exclusively in person.

Student enrolment in the course is confirmed each year through an evaluation exam conducted by the Commission. At the end of the Three-Year Course, it is possible to take the final exam and, upon passing, obtain the Diploma of the Imola Academy.

At the unquestionable discretion of the Academy Direction and upon request of the teacher, the course may be extended for one additional year only. No further extension is allowed.

Admission Exam

Attendance to the course is subject to passing theadmission exam by audition, with the following programme:

• one Classical Sonata (Haydn, Mozart, Clementi, Beethoven)
• one Study by Fryderyk Chopin from Op. 10 or Op. 25
• a free programme lasting 30–40 minutes (not including the works listed above). The programme must be appropriate to the student’s age and level of preparation; this will be evaluated during the admission exam.

Newly admitted students will begin with a probationary year, at the end of which they must pass an exam to formalise their admission to the course. The exam program is equivalent to the one required for the passage exams  of the course. During the probationary year, attendance and educational opportunities will be the same as for regularly enrolled students.

Application to the admission exam: click here
The admission exam registration procedure allows candidates to indicate a preference for one or more teachers they wish to study with. In any case, the formation of classes is at the discretion of the Piano Academy’s Direction.

Passage exam

All students, except those enrolled in the Post-Diploma Course, are required to take the annual confirmation or passage exam in order to advance to the following year. Passing the exam allows the student to continue their course of study at the Academy. In order to be admitted to passage exams, students must attend at least 30 hours of lessons in the current academic year.

Programmes for passage exams cannot include works already presented in previous exam sessions. The confirmation or passage exam requires the following programme:

• a 60-minute recital
• one work for piano and orchestra

Upon indication of the reference teacher(s), students are required to collaborate as accompanying pianists in the performance of one or more works for piano and orchestra presented by other students during exams. This activity forms an integral part of the student’s overall evaluation.

For the purpose of the exam, the students and teachers involved are responsible for the selection of the accompanist and for the organization of rehearsals.

It is the responsibility of the assigned teacher(s) to ensure that the programmes submitted by individual students for the passage exams comply with the established requirements regarding both the duration and the selected repertoire.

Three-Year Course Diploma

At the end of the Three-Year Course, students may take the final exam and, upon passing, obtain the Diploma of the Imola Academy. In order to be admitted to Diploma exams, students must attend at least 30 hours of lessons in the current academic year. The exam programme must include the following:

• a 70-minute recital
• one work for piano and orchestra

Annual attendance fee

€ 2.500,00 to be paid within the following deadlines:

• 15th October: I fee € 1.250,00
• 15th February: II fee € 1.250,00