- Venue's Capacity: 2800
Designed by architect Renzo Piano, this complex dedicated to classical music consists of three concert halls, an open-air theatre, two rehearsal rooms, a museum of musical instruments and an exhibition of archaeological remains.
From 2002 Academy of Santa Cecilia’s concerts are held in the Auditorium Parco della Musica.
The National Academy of Santa Cecilia is one of the world’s oldest music institutes. Having started as an association in Rome in 1566, it was formalized by Pope Gregory XIII in 1585 as a “congregation of musicians under the protection of the Holy Virgin and Saints Gregory and Cecilia”, and later became an academy. Admittance was strictly for master composers, organists, singers and instrumentalists having the required qualifications. The institute remains an association, members comprise 70 full academicians (italian) and 30 honorary academicians (non-italian). The President is now Bruno Cagli. Even if the institute’s objectives have changed over the years, the ultimate purpose has always been the promotion and growth of the art of music. February 2, 1895-date the inauguration of the concert hall in via dei Greci – marked the beginning of regular performances, and these were further boosted with the establishment of the Orchestra and Choir in 1908. The Santa Cecilia Orchestra was the first in Italy exclusively dedicated to the symphonic genre.
Until 1936, concerts were held at the Augusteo (a theatre later demolished by Mussolini) then at Teatro Adriano, Teatro Argentina and, since 1958, at the Auditorium in via della Conciliazione and now at the Auditorium Parco della Musica