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The Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia is one of the oldest musical institutions in the world. Officially founded in 1585, it has evolved over the centuries from an organization of mainly "local" musicians to a modern academy and symphonic concert organization of international repute. Uniting an academic body of 100 of the most illustrious exponents of culture and music with a symphonic orchestra and chorus that are among the most internationally renowned, the Accademia carries out professional musical training and conserves an extremely rich historical patrimony, thus reflecting its multi-century history. In just a few years, the Accademia passed through other, profound changes, impelled by the support of the Savoy government and by the 1895-1949 presidency of Enrico di San Martino, a leading figure in the national and international stage and cultural politics from the end of the 19th through the first half of the 20th centuries. The Santa Cecilia music school (which became the Conservatorio), the library, the high-level specialization courses, the Regia acting school "Eleonora Duse" (which became the Accademia Nazionale d'Arte Drammatica "Silvio D'Amico"), and the Scuola Nazionale (later the Centro Sperimentale di Cinematografia) were founded under his guidance, thanks to a sort of mandate for the performing arts obtained from the government at a national level. As concert seasons were developed and consolidated with stable artistic ensembles and many subscribers, the Accademia wound up assuming an aspect unique for its genre, which it still preserves today even after cutting ties with many of the entities and schools that were founded along with it. The Accademia is the only example among Italian academies originating in the Renaissance to have assumed a productive modern organization. The current Accademia (which became a foundation in 1998) is flanked by an academic organization with 70 active and 30 honorary members that include the most prominent Italian and foreign musicians, and a symphony orchestra and chorus known and appreciated throughout the world. Thus, it unites activities promoting music's culture and heritage with a superlative didactic tradition, and above all, with internationally famous concert programming in continual expansion. Between 1990 and 2000, it passed from around 100 concerts and events a year to the current figure of two-hundred-fifty, articulated in two seasons (symphonic and chamber music), to all of which is added: a summer season, exhibitions on educational themes ("Tutti a Santa Cecilia" for children and young people of all ages), repertoires other than 'serious music' ("Santa Cecilia It is Wonderful"), chamber and polyphonic choral repertoires, theme festivals, and tours in Italy and abroad. As far as didactic and training activities are concerned, following the recent reform of the Conservatorio, the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia aims to become a center of excellence for outstanding musical education. Soon other courses will be added to the traditional intensive high-level courses instituted by law in 1939, flanked as always by specialization courses and masterclasses that include Opera Studio, a laboratory conducted by Renata Scotto. The Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia's museum of musical instruments was inaugurated in 2008, and it holds one of the foremost collections of instruments in Italy. View full university