Accademia Teatro alla Scala

The roots of the Accademia Teatro alla Scala date back to 1813, when the theatre opened its Ballet School, which is now recognised as one of the most prestigious international institutions for dance training. In the 1950s, with the creation of the "Cadetti della Scala" school, Arturo Toscanini wanted to give historical continuity to the Italian opera tradition, always with a view to fostering the growth of young talent, La Scala's true vocation. In the 1970s, Tito Varisco, who was director of stage design at the time, created the course for theatre set designers, with the aim of passing on, from generation to generation, the excellence of the creative and manual skills of La Scala artists.

In 2001, the Accademia was established as a private foundation under the supervision of Carlo Fontana, and took on the appearance it has today: four departments - Music, Dance, Stage-Laboratory and Management - covering all professional profiles related to musical theatre, with a wide range of training courses, specialisation and workshops. The high level of teaching guarantees the most appropriate preparation, thanks to the presence of professionals from Teatro alla Scala, alongside great artists and leading experts in the sector.

In recent years, international contacts have been encouraged to increase student exchanges, hospitality, and concert activities, and research and cooperation projects supported by the European Community have been further developed with authoritative partners.

The same principle of openness and collaboration is at the basis of the Teaching and Dissemination Area, created to promote projects for the dissemination and transmission of theatre and music culture inside and outside the Academy, through listening guides, music workshops, guided tours, meetings with artists and musicians.