Shanghai Conservatory of Music


The Shanghai Conservatory of Music was founded on November 27, 1927 as the first music institution of higher education in China. Its teachers and students have won awards at home and abroad, thus earning the conservatory the name "the cradle of musicians."

History

The Shanghai Conservatory of Music is a music institute famous at home and abroad. It grew out of the National Conservatory of Music, which was established by Cai Yuanpei on November 27, 1927. Dr. Xiao Youmei was the director of the new school and curriculum. His teachings were based on the Leipzig Conservatory of Music, where he graduated. It was one of the first institutions of higher learning of modern music in China. It was considered the premiere institution for Western music learning. Professors came from as far as Russia and France.
It was renamed several times: National Training School of Music, Branch of National Conservatory of Music, Shanghai National Training School of Music, Shanghai and Huadong Branches of Chinese Conservatory of Music. It received its current name in 1956.

Programs

The Shanghai Conservatory of Music consists of 13 departments. It involves six disciplines and 23 sub-disciplines, some traditional, the others newly developed.
The conservatory supports a high-level music research institute, a specialized music library with a large collection, a first-class museum of Asian instruments, and a unique music publishing house.
A six-year secondary school and a three-year elementary section were established in 1953 and 1956 to prepare better candidates for tertiary education, thus forming a self-contained system with a complete curriculum of music and academic education.
Three art centers integrate teaching, performing and scientific research: Zhou Xiaoyan International Opera Center, International String Academy, and International Piano Art Center. The conservatory has established six performing groups: Symphony Orchestra of Shanghai Conservatory of Music, New Ensemble, String Quartet, Percussion Ensemble, National Music Orchestra and Choir.
Shanghai Conservatory of Music maintains close relationships with many first-class conservatories and famous musicians, including collaborations with schools in the USA, France, UK, Russia, Netherlands, Australia, Austria, Germany and Japan. Many internationally well-known musicians such as Isaac Stern, Itzhak Perlman, Yuri Shishkin, Leon Fleisher, Pinchas Zukerman, Seiji Ozawa, Simon Rattle, Mstislav Rostropovich, and Yo-Yo Ma have served as honorary or guest professors.

Departments

The conservatory has 50 professors and 120 associate professors. There are approximately 1,200 students.

Notable faculty and alumni

Faculty