Our history

The Accademia della Voce del Piemonte was founded in Turin in 1991 on the initiative of Armando Caruso, journalist, music organizer and current President.
The Accademia della Voce del Piemonte takes shape as an autonomous project from the activity of the association La Nuova Arca, founded by Caruso in 1981 together with Elda Caliari and Baba Richerme. A project that included the activity of high lyrical perfection and the organization of concerts largely on the debut of the young singers participating in the training activity.
The main activity of the Academy is the organization of courses, masterclasses and seminars of high musical perfection.
The courses are aimed at young opera singers who have already completed their first cycle of studies in their countries, obtaining a bachelor’s degree.
The aim of the Academy is to offer young Italian singers and from all over the world the opportunity to mature professionally to face their theatrical career.
The courses take place in Turin at the Headquarters of the Academy, and are held by Italian and international teachers of high professional qualification and absolute reputation in the musical environment.
In addition to the teaching activity, the Academy organizes seasons and concert events of vocal, choral and instrumental music.
The Reine Stimme Symphony Choir is the vocal complex attached to the Accademia della Voce del Piemonte. It was founded and is directed by M° Sonia Franzese, who shapes it every year with new insertions. Count on about fifty singers.
The result is a body of great vocal and musical ductility and of vast lyrical, symphonic repertoire, of sacred music much appreciated by the public and by the major Italian orchestral formations with which he regularly collaborates.

The first Masterclass of the Academy was held in 1991 in the Cavour Castle of Santena (Turin), professor of the soprano Raina Kabaivanska. Since then the Academy has launched dozens of singers who have achieved international fame. Among them we remember the Italians Francesco Meli, Francesca Scaini, Tatiana Serjan, Anna Pirozzi, Francesco Marsiglia, Enrico Iviglia and dozens of young international talents.
They taught in the Academy’s Masterclasses:
– Singers Raina Kabaivanska, Virginia Zeani, Alfredo Kraus, Franco Corelli, Claudio Desderi, Enzo Dara, Mariella Devia, Daniela Dessì, Sherman Lowe, Luciana D’Intino, Francisco Araiza, Sonia Franzese, Rockwell Blake, José van Dam, Alessandro Corbelli, Sung Hee Park, Salvatore Ragonese, Elizabeth Norberg-Schulz.
– Conductors Yuri Ahronovitch and Aldo Ceccato.
– The choirmaster Romano Gandolfi.

Thanks to the collaboration with the University of Turin, the Accademia della Voce del Piemonte has established since 1991 the Premio Internazionale Arca d’Oro Italia Sapere Aude and the Arca d’Oro Giovani Talenti awards since 1991. Both prizes are awarded each year during a ceremony and a concert tribute to the awarded personality.
The gold medal list includes Yuri Ahronovitch, Claudio Abbado, Mirella Fremi, Alfredo Kraus, Carla Fracci, Bruno Bartoletti, Paolo Conte, Zubin Mehta, Luca Ronconi, Pierluigi Pizzi, Bruno Casoni, Gianandrea Noseda, Riccardo Chailly, Maurizio Scaparro, Sonia Franzese, Renata Scotto, Mariella Devia.
The award of the Arca d’Oro is accompanied in some cases by the award by the Honoris Causa degree given by Turin’s university institutions. This is the case of the sculptor Christo, the conductor Riccardo Muti who conducted the concert at the University headquarters, and the astronaut Paolo Nespoli.