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Casta Diva Project

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Digital Archive of Italian Conservatories of Music, Academies of Fine Arts, and Universities. Website created as part of the Casta Diva: An International Research and Production Digital Platform on Women in Italian Musical Theatre Project, funded by the European Union - Next Generation EU, Mission 4 Component 1, CUP: F31B23000450006.

Responsabile scientifico: Giovanni Albini

Istituzione Capofila: Conservatorio A. Vivaldi

Via Parma 1, 15121 Alessandria

+390131051500

Responsabile Scientifico Digital Hub: Paola Bertolone

Webmaster: ivan.paduano@uniroma1.it

Dipartimento PDTA Sapienza Università

Via Flaminia 72, 00197 Roma

+390649919006

The Voice of Women

at the Opera

©

Welcome to the Casta Diva Project portal

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Casta Diva Project Digital Archive of Italian Conservatories of Music, Academies of Fine Arts, and Universities

Casta Diva is a two-year international project born from the collaboration of twelve Italian higher education institutions—including conservatories of music, fine arts academies, and universities—with the support of the European Union, funded through NextGenerationEU within the framework of the Italian PNRR. The project aims to highlight and promote worldwide the female figures who have shaped the history of Italian musical theatre: not only the great divas and leading performers on stage, but also composers, impresarias, costume designers, and many other essential contributors who, often unrecognized, worked behind the scenes. Its international activities include training programs, conferences, artistic productions, musicological research, and innovative paths in music therapy. Casta Diva is therefore conceived as a journey to rediscover the female legacy in Italian musical theatre, turning it into a driving force for cultural inspiration and innovation.

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Music Therapy

Music therapy is the professional use of music and its elements by a qualified music therapist to support individuals, groups, families, or communities in improving their quality of life and overall well-being—physically, socially, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually.

In practice, music therapy means using music in a purposeful and structured way within rehabilitation, educational, and personal development programs. Through sound, rhythm, melody, and harmony, the music therapist creates a safe and supportive environment where communication, relationships, learning, movement, self-expression, and emotional balance can be encouraged. This process helps people strengthen their inner resources, build connections with others, and enhance their overall quality of life.

Music therapy is used in many settings around the world: schools, hospitals, clinics, care homes, social centres, hospices, and even prisons. Each treatment plan is tailored to the individual, with methods that may include active listening, musical dialogue, improvisation, or creative activities such as movement, dance, drawing, or drama—either one-to-one or in groups.

Professional music therapists work with the goal of promoting holistic well-being, in line with the World Health Organization’s definition of health as “a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”. In educational and preventive settings, music therapy can be offered as an additional resource to support growth and development, while in healthcare it is used only under the recommendation and supervision of medical professionals.
Music therapists value creativity as a powerful tool for change, and collaborate closely within multidisciplinary teams, combining their expertise with that of other professionals to offer personalised and effective care.
 

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Research activities in the context of the Casta Diva project focus on the female figure in Italian musical theatre, providing original insights through conferences, exhibitions, and dissemination materials. They are integrated with the project’s artistic production, also offering valuable resources for philological performance and teaching. Outputs include conference proceedings, publications, and critical editions