On April 17, 1975 Umberto Pineschi, organist of the Cathedral of Pistoia, founded an association, named Academy of Italian Organ Music, to “promote the knowledge of the Italian organ music and to exploit the Italian historic organs, especially those built by the Pistoiese school”.
The same year of its foundation, the Academy planned its first master class and realized it from September 21 to 28. The Hermans organ of the church of St. Ignatius of Loyola in Pistoia (1664), then “not yet restored”, was chosen as symbol and as a good wish both for the organ and the Academy.

On 27 December 2001 the association changed its name and became the “Giuseppe Gherardeschi” Organ Academy. It is an international academy since because organists from many countries take part in its activities. The Hermans organ, meanwhile  restored, is now the focal point of the activities of the Academy and, from 2012, became again its symbol.

From 2003 the Academy is housed in the Spirito Santo parish building. In 1998 a Tronci organ, built in 1793 and miraculously still intact, was bought and installed in the Cathedral of Pistoia. Nel 2007 a new organ was built in the organ loft facing the Hermans organ and in 2008 another new organ was built for the Carmine Church in Pistoia. These instruments, added to the Hermans organ, made possible the beginning of an intense teaching activity for the Gherardeschi Academy.

Council Association:

President: Umberto Pineschi.

Councillors residents in Italy: Antonio Galanti, Wladimir Matesic, Kumiko Konishi, Anna Picchiarini, Eliseo Sandretti e Ottaviano Tenerani

Councillors residents outside Italy: Ludger Lohmann (Germany), Masakata Kanazawa (Japan) e Guy Bovet (Switzerland).