“Omaggio a Cremona”: Accardo, Giuranna and students on stage

“The Stauffer Academy was born of an idea by Andrea Mosconi,” recounts Salvatore Accardo, “a man of rare sensitivity and a very dear friend of mine. He spoke to me about this idea, and we were able to bring it to life straight away. He gave me complete freedom — especially when it came to choosing the teaching staff. I immediately thought of Giuranna for the viola and Petracchi for the double bass, both of whom were already teaching in Cremona, and of Filippini for the cello. With him, with Bruno and Franco, I had shared many years of music — we had performed together countless times. All three of them accepted the invitation with great enthusiasm, and that’s how we began. That’s how the Stauffer Academy came into being! What we created, above all, was an institution that could enjoy complete freedom. From the very beginning, the four of us decided we didn’t want any constraints — no ministerial interference, no bureaucratic red tape — when it came to programmes, exams, or anything else. We all shared the same philosophy of teaching. We wanted—and still want — to be free to organise our work according to our own principles, our own choices, including the selection of students: those with the right qualities. Teaching here is a joy — it’s an Academy of excellence, where everything is dedicated to music, and where the focus is entirely on young people and their development.”