music conservatories

There are nine major conservatories in China: the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing, the Chinese Conservatory of Music in Beijing, the Shanghai Conservatory of Music, the Shenyang Conservatory of Music, the Sichuan Conservatory of Music in Chengdu, the Tianjin Conservatory of Music, the Wuhan Conservatory of Music, the Xi’an Conservatory of Music, and the Xinghai Conservatory of Music in Guangzhou. The majority were founded in the 1950s, and were closely modelled after the conservatories in the Soviet Union. Since 1980 there has been more Western influence because of the large number of Western musicians visiting China and the many Chinese students studying in the West who have returned to teach.

Unlike many music departments in the universities, which are generally small in size and lack both faculty and funds, conservatories are the principal institutions responsible for training professional musicians and music scholars. Their curricula consist of Western music courses balanced with a significant proportion of Chinese music courses.

Most conservatories offer bachelor’s and master’s degrees in composition, musicology, conducting, Chinese instrument performance, orchestral instrument performance, piano, voice, and music education. Some conservatories, such as the Central and the Shanghai Conservatories, also offer doctoral degrees. All conservatories have preparatory music schools affiliated with them. While the Central Conservatory, the only one to receive government funds, and the Shanghai Conservatory recruit students nationwide, other conservatories attract mostly local students. Since 1990 the enrolment of students from Hong Kong, Taiwan and foreign countries has been growing steadily.

See also: musicology

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