Fortissimo is an Italian startup that unites 23 opera houses, orchestras, and educational institutions from 14 European countries in a digital education project aimed at introducing young people to classical music.
Fortissimo combines classical music education with modern interactive tools such as virtual reality and app-based learning, enabling students to explore music through animations and games.
For teachers, it offers ready-made lesson plans, with traditional learning materials such as worksheets, creative projects, in-class activities, audio files, and video content.
Its digital approach, through an interactive app and virtual reality, makes classical music engaging and accessible for learners of all ages and backgrounds.
Meet Valeria Told
Valeria Told has extensive experience in managing cultural institutions. She led the Opera House of Bolzano and Trento, as well as Italy's largest theatre festival at the Greek Theatre in Sicily, for 12 years. During her tenure, she earned numerous awards and established significant international collaborations.
Throughout her career, she observed that teachers often lacked high-quality teaching materials for music education. In response, she founded Fortissimo.
Who else is on the Fortissimo team?
- Johanna Schomaker, Education Manager
- Dominik Told, Digital Media Manager
- Oscar Bottes, VR Manager
- Nicole Moratelli, Assistant
- Marek Dobrowolski, Developer
- Lukas Jezyna, Developer
- Maria Pena, Designer
What are the biggest challenges in digital education?
One of the biggest challenges is making learning engaging and accessible for students and teachers across different age groups and backgrounds. Traditional methods often rely on passive learning through textbooks and lectures, which can fail to capture students' interest or accommodate diverse learning styles.
Additionally, many educators may lack specialised training to effectively teach subjects like classical music, making it difficult to deliver high-quality, engaging lessons in a digital format.
Another significant challenge is ensuring that educational resources are inclusive and available to a wide audience, especially in a multilingual and multicultural context.
What are the advantages for teachers and students?
Fortissimo merges traditional classical music education with modern digital tools such as virtual reality and game-based learning, creating an immersive and interactive learning experience.
For teachers, especially those without a formal music background, Fortissimo offers ready-made, adaptable lesson plans that simplify the teaching process and ensure that high-quality music education is accessible to all students.
The platform's app and VR cater to different age groups, with tailored experiences for younger students (ages 6-10) and older students (ages 10-16), making classical music education fun and engaging.
“Fortissimo offers a comprehensive experience, making classical music accessible and engaging for students, regardless of their prior exposure.”
Valeria Told, Founder and CEO of Fortissimo
How has the Accelerator programme supported you?
The Accelerator programme offers Fortissimo valuable mentorship in marketing and sales strategies, which are crucial for scaling the solution effectively in diverse educational markets.
Additionally, the opportunity to test with schools provides essential feedback, helping refine Fortissimo to better meet the needs of educators and students.
Networking with other startups also allows us to exchange ideas, share challenges, and gain market insights, making it easier to navigate different educational contexts and understand various market dynamics across Europe.
What are the next steps for your team?
The next steps are starting the sales process and social media marketing campaigns to promote the solution across different markets. We are working to better understand how school decision-making processes vary by country to tailor our approach to each market.
We are also focused on finalising the VR experience, which is set to launch in November, and making Fortissimo available in 11 languages by the end of the year to expand our reach across Europe.