The Fondazione Centro di Musicologia Walter Stauffer is one of the most important private institutions for the promotion of music and music culture in Italy.
Established in Cremona, in 1970, by Italian-Swiss patron and entrepreneur Walter Stauffer, the Foundation aims to promote and support advanced musical training for string players, traditional Cremonese violin making and musicological research.
In 1985, the Foundation established the Stauffer Academy, an ambitious educational project aimed at supporting future generations of musicians, to whose creation some of Italy’s most renowned Masters contributed: Salvatore Accardo (violin), Bruno Giuranna (viola), Rocco Filippini (cello) and Franco Petracchi (double bass).
Through a forward-thinking scholarship program, the Stauffer Foundation provides full financial support to all of the Academy’s students, highlighting their talent and excellence.
The Foundation owns a uniquely valuable collection of historical instruments, which are exhibited on loan at the Violin Museum in Cremona. The collection includes a Guarneri del Gesù violin, an Enrico Ceruti violin, a Girolamo Amati viola and an Antonio Stradivari cello.
Stauffer has its institutional headquarters at the historic Palazzo Raimondi. In 2015, Stauffer acquired ownership of Palazzo Stradiotti, an iconic building that, after major renovation works, was returned to the city of Cremona as Palazzo Stauffer. The building now houses the Stauffer Center for Strings. Dedicated to string players, this innovative multifunctional campus has inspired the entire international music community.
