Musica e musicisti francesi all’Accademia Musicale Chigiana

This essay presents the results of research aimed at investigating the presence and activity of French musicians at the Accademia Musicale Chigiana from 1923, the year of the inaugural Micat in Vertice concert season, to 1965, the year of the death of Count Guido Chigi Saracini. The investigation reveals a significant presence of French repertoire (including works by Couperin, Debussy, Franck, Saint-Saëns, Ravel, and Fauré) in both the Micat in Vertice programmes and the concerts associated with the Accademia’s summer courses, which were launched in 1932. Particular focus is given to the correspondence between the Count and renowned French musicians and educators active in Siena, including Nadia Boulanger, Alfred Cortot, Madeleine Grey, Yvonne Astruc, Jacques Thibaud, and André Navarra. Drawing on extensive archival materials preserved in the Accademia’s library, the analysis reconstructs the artistic and cultural networks that helped shape the institution’s international profile.