The advanced music training academy for young artists, songwriters and performers, conceived by Maestro Diego Calvetti, will take place from 7 to 11 October 2026, with a revamped format, at the Platinum Studio in San Gimignano (SI) and the Teatro del Popolo in Castelfiorentino (FI).
Registration is now officially open: full details are available on the website www.begomusicacademy.it
“The aim is to forge a tangible link between the younger generation and professionals in the Italian music industry who are on the lookout for talent.”
The BE.GO. Music Academy, conceived and directed by Maestro Diego Calvetti – music producer, songwriter, manager and conductor – returns for its fifth year. Aimed at young artists, songwriters and performers, the Academy will take place from 7 to 11 October 2026 at the Platinum Studio in San Gimignano (SI) and the Teatro del Popolo in Castelfiorentino (FI), and will feature a new format combining creative workshops, music production, masterclasses and live auditions. From today, registration to take part is officially open; full details are available on the website: www.begomusicacademy.it
The first three days – 7, 8 and 9 October – will see this year’s real innovation, the BE.GO. Lab, taking place at the Platinum Studio in San Gimignano (SI): here, participants will work alongside highly professional songwriters and producers to develop new original tracks. On the final two days, 10 and 11 October, masterclasses, auditions and meetings with guests from the national music scene will be held at the Teatro del Popolo in Castelfiorentino (FI).
The Academy, which has grown steadily year on year, with ever-increasing enrolment figures and public engagement, aims to nurture emerging musical talent through an immersive, professional training programme focused on the artistic and creative development of its participants. The programme will feature creative workshops and music production sessions, as well as training sessions with songwriters, producers and professionals from the music industry. An integral part of the academic programme will be numerous masterclasses and opportunities for professional discussion, live auditions and evening events with artists from the Italian music scene.
Once again this year, the ‘A Chat with…’ format will be featured: the two days of the Academy at the Teatro del Popolo will conclude with a well-known musical guest, who will share their experiences and alternate between a live performance and a discussion with the audience, recounting the personal artistic journey that has led them to achieve their current level of popularity. The aim is to bring the artist closer to those who dream of a career in the music industry and to give young people the chance to learn from the experience of someone who has had the opportunity and ability to turn their art and talent into a proper career.
In previous editions of “A Chat with…”, guests have included Noemi, Ermal Meta, Marco Masini, Alex Britti, Gemitaiz, Joan Thiele, Giuseppe Anastasi, Pierò Pelù, Dolcenera, Kekko of Modà, Chiara Galiazzo, Paola Turci, Il Tre, Emma Nolde, Legno, Alberto Bianco and Postino – great artists from the Italian music scene, as well as singer-songwriters from the new generation who have shared their experiences.
Once again this year, the BE.GO. Music Academy will award scholarships to the participants deemed most promising by the tutors, which can be spent on musical instruments and/or activities related to music production.
At the discretion of the internal artistic committee, the Academy will award the following prizes: a €1,000 scholarship (the ‘BE.GO. Lab’ Award) awarded to the participant who stands out most during the three-day creative workshop at Platinum Studio for their songwriting skills, creativity, artistic development and ability to work in a team, to be spent on musical instruments and/or activities related to music production.
Two scholarships of €1,000 each (the ‘BE.GO. Talent’ Awards) will be awarded to the best artists to emerge during the final auditions at the Teatro del Popolo in Castelfiorentino, based on artistic and interpretative quality and professional potential, to be spent on musical instruments and/or activities related to music production.
BE.GO. is an acronym for Benozzo Gozzoli, a Tuscan painter who lived in the 1400s. Castelfiorentino is home to one of the most important museums dedicated to the artist, who, at the end of the fifteenth century, painted frescoes in the town itself. The idea of naming the academy after the painter is to highlight how art transforms over time through the people who inhabit the same geographical space – even in a historical period far removed from the present – yet draw inspiration from the same roots, the same scents and a land rich in history and culture.
Diego Calvetti and his team aim, through this new initiative, to convey to those wishing to embark on this artistic and educational journey a message of hard work, study and in-depth exploration alongside industry professionals, whilst at the same time keeping their feet firmly rooted in their own territory and history.
“In the age of sharing, the way we enjoy music has taken a completely different direction compared to just a few years ago,” says Diego Calvetti. “The advent of new technologies and the centralisation of all our activities on our smartphones has led to a radical change in the development of music and art. However, this does not detract from the importance of personal talent, study and the professional application of one’s craft in order to give one’s very best through self-criticism and dialogue with those who have known this profession in depth for years and experience it daily, with all its artistic and economic implications. Being contemporary and up to date with what is really happening in our own historical moment and behind the scenes of artistic projects provides a wealth of experience that can be passed on through the exchange of ideas and dialogue.”
“With this new edition of Be.Go. Music Academy – emphasises the Councillor for Culture, Franco Spina – Diego Calvetti’s commitment is renewed to an event that aims to bring to the fore and promote new musical talent, an objective that is entirely in line with the aspirations of the Municipal Administration, which, since the start of its term of office, has sought to create a new brand for our city centred on the idea of a ‘land of artists and musicians’. In this context, the Music Academy represents a valuable showcase and an unmissable opportunity for dialogue and interaction with great artists, drawing inspiration from the ‘genius loci’ of Benozzo Gozzoli to look to the future and to young people, thereby confirming the role of our Teatro del Popolo as a bastion of cultural excellence.”
The Academy’s success is underpinned by its partnership with Castelfiorentino Town Council, SIAE (the Italian Society of Authors and Publishers), which consistently supports the new generation of singer-songwriters, Sebach, which has strong links to the world of live entertainment, and Banca Cambiano 1884.
