Sydney Conservatorium of Music

Rich history, Prestigious Status

The Sydney Conservatorium of Music stands as a beacon of world-class musical education and performance in Australia.

Nestled in the heart of Sydney, adjacent to the Royal Botanic Gardens, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music (often referred to as “The Con”) is not only a leading institution for music education in Australia but also a site of deep historical and architectural significance.

The Conservatorium’s origins date back to 1915, when it was established under the direction of Belgian conductor Henri Verbrugghen. From its inception, it sought to offer a standard of musical education on par with Europe’s leading conservatories, and Verbrugghen’s creation of Australia’s first full-time orchestra further cemented the institution’s prestige. Over the years, its role in shaping Australia’s musical landscape has been significant, particularly through its focus on fostering both performance and academic excellence in music.

The building itself, designed by colonial architect Francis Greenway in the early 19th century, began its life not as a school but as stables for the New South Wales Governor’s horses. The gothic-style structure, with its distinctive castellated design, was later adapted into the Conservatorium, and further renovations and expansions have blended modern functionality with the building’s historical character. The major upgrades in the early 2000s preserved its architectural integrity while adding state-of-the-art facilities like concert halls, recital rooms, and practice spaces, making it a unique blend of heritage and contemporary design.

Throughout its history, the Conservatorium has been led by notable figures who have played pivotal roles in shaping its direction. Among them, Sir Eugene Goossens transformed it into a world-class institution during his tenure, nurturing talents like the famed soprano Joan Sutherland. Over the decades, The Con has produced countless leading figures in classical music, including performers, conductors, and composers who have made their mark on the international stage.

Today, as part of the University of Sydney, the Conservatorium offers a wide array of programs that span classical, jazz, contemporary, and electronic music, along with musicology and composition. It continues to be a key player in Sydney’s vibrant cultural scene, hosting performances, lectures, and workshops throughout the year, both for students and the public. Its historic Verbrugghen Hall, with its superb acoustics, remains a cherished venue for major concerts.

The Sydney Conservatorium of Music remains a cornerstone of Australia’s musical heritage, committed to nurturing the next generation of musicians while preserving the legacy of its storied past. Whether through innovative research, cutting-edge performances, or its world-class faculty, it continues to play a central role in the cultural fabric of Sydney and beyond.

The University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (MDW)

A legacy of excellence

Top Classical, November 2023

The University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna (mdw), with its origins tracing back to a charity concert in 1812, stands today as one of the world’s preeminent institutions in the performing arts. Founded officially in 1817, mdw has evolved into a pivotal center for music, theatre, and film education, boasting a rich history and a robust presence in the cultural heart of Vienna.

The university’s expansive campus is home to over 3,000 students from around 70 nations, offering a diverse array of programs across 25 departments. These programs range from traditional instrumental studies to contemporary fields such as acting in the Max Reinhardt Seminar and the Film Academy Vienna. The university’s small student-to-instructor ratio and selective acceptance rate ensure an immersive and personalized educational experience.

Equipped with historic and modern facilities, including the Schlosstheater Schönbrunn and cutting-edge film studios, mdw provides students with world-class resources. This blend of historic charm and modern innovation is a hallmark of the university’s approach to arts education.

Additionally, mdw hosts numerous events annually, from concerts in its concert halls, which marry historical styles with modern acoustics, to opera and theatre performances, and interdisciplinary events. These events not only offer students invaluable performing experience but also demonstrate the university’s commitment to community engagement.

The University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna’s significant academic achievements include a noteworthy global ranking, based on its research output, non-academic reputation, and the impact of its notable alumni. With hundreds of academic publications and citations, mdw’s contribution to research in the arts is considerable.

The University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna stands as a beacon of excellence in arts education, harmoniously intertwining a rich historical legacy with the vibrancy of modern pedagogical approaches. It continues to shape the future of music and performing arts, nurturing the talents of students who will carry its legacy forward.

Amsterdam Conservatory of Music

The Lustrous Journey of Amsterdam Conservatory in the World of Classical Music Pedagogy

Nestled in the heart of Amsterdam’s vibrant cultural landscape, the Conservatorium van Amsterdam stands as a venerable beacon of classical music education. This illustrious institution, part of the Amsterdam University of the Arts, represents the zenith of musical pedagogy in the Netherlands. It offers an expansive curriculum that encompasses not only classical music but also jazz, pop, electronic music, early music, music education, and opera, catering to a kaleidoscope of musical aspirations.

The Conservatory’s origins date back to 1884, marking it as an institution steeped in rich musical traditions. Its evolution through various mergers, culminating in its current form in 1994, mirrors the dynamic progression of music education itself. The Conservatory’s relocation in 2008 to Oosterdokseiland, adjacent to Amsterdam Central Station, positioned it at the epicenter of Amsterdam’s cultural heartbeat. This strategic location places students within an arm’s reach of the city’s artistic pulse.

Architecturally, the Conservatory is a paragon of modern design, conceived by Dutch architect Frits van Dongen. Its structure, inspired by the Japanese ‘Engawa model’, ingeniously integrates serene study spaces with lively communal areas, fostering an environment where academic rigor coexists with creative exploration. The Conservatory’s facilities are a testament to acoustic excellence, meticulously planned by Akoestisch bureau Peutz to ensure the pristine quality of sound in both lesson and performance spaces.

Home to illustrious concert halls like the Bernard Haitinkzaal, Amsterdam Blue Note, Sweelinckzaal, and Theaterzaal, the Conservatory provides a stage where the future of classical music is not only learned but also performed and celebrated. The building also houses extensive classrooms, a well-equipped library, and dedicated study areas, underscoring its commitment to comprehensive musical education.

In essence, the Amsterdam Conservatory is more than an educational institution; it is a crucible where classical music’s enduring legacy is fused with contemporary artistic innovation. It is a place where students are not just educated but are immersed in a rich tapestry of musical history and cultural dynamism, preparing them to be the vanguards of classical music in the modern era.

Hochschule für Musik Hannover

Excellence at the highest level

Top Classical, January 2023
The Hanover University of Music, Drama and Media Hannover (HMTMH) is one of Germany´s most renowned institutions for professional training and academic study in the cultural and artistic field. Some 360 teachers, amongst them numerous internationally celebrated artists, educationalists and academics, teach nearly 1,500 students from all over the world.

HMTMH traces its history back to the “Landesmusikschule” (State music school) and the “Hannoversche Schauspielschule” (Hannover Drama School), both of which were founded as early as the 19th century. They then formed the “Akademie für Musik und Theater” (Academy of Music and Theatre) in 1950; in 1973, the Federal State of Lower Saxony became responsible for managing the University.It was in 1958 when the school achieved the status of Hochschule. Since 2001 the university runs an institute for the early training of highly gifted students, the ‘Institut zur Früh-Förderung Hochbegabter’ (IFF, Institute for the Advancement of Young Musicians).

In 2010, it added the term “media” to its name. Today, its institutes are located in various places around the city – from the east side of Hanover to the Expo Plaza.

Eleven institutes serve to bring students and scholars together, creating impetus and acting as a catalyst for unique research. The disciplines of Acting and Media Management complement HMTMH’s outstanding reputation as a music academy, making it Germany’s third-largest art university.

The balance between music, drama, education and academic research, and the commitment to excellence at the highest level of performance and in broader training form the core of HMTMH’s understanding of its role. To this end, HMTHM provides a differentiated offering of degree programs, supplemented by numerous master classes. Music plays the key role. Thanks to many cross-discipline art research projects, almost all fields can be approached in an interdisciplinary manner.

The drama and opera departments are in close cooperation with the Staatsoper Hannover, the Staatstheater Hannover and the NDR Radiophilharmonie. About 500 public concerts and performances a year make the HMTMH one of the biggest organizers of cultural events in the State of Lower Saxony. In order to provide long-term support for “Hanover, Region of Culture” and “Lower Saxony, Land of Music”, Lower Saxony’s only conservatoire stays in a permanent exchange with society and initiates a number of musical outreach activities.

Notable artists such as Igor Levit, Yundi Li, Lars Vogt or Sabine Meyer are only some of the names who studied there in the past.

Further information about the university and their academic programs can be found on HMTMH webpage: https://www.hmtm-hannover.de/en/home/ 

Curtis Institute

A virtuoso factory

Top Classical, November 2022
The Curtis Institute of Music was founded in 1924 by Mary Louise Curtis Bok, who named it in honor of her father, Cyrus Curtis, an American publisher. After consulting with musician friends Josef Hofmann, who later became the first director, and Leopold Stokowski on how best to help musically gifted young people, Bok purchased three mansions on Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square and had them joined and renovated.  

Bok had worked with the very poor in Philadelphia’s Settlement Music School and found that many of the students there, though culturally and financially deprived, were very musically talented. Based on her experiences there, she assembled a highly talented staff and by 1928 had made the school tuition free. Today it continues this tradition, accepting students based solely on merit only, and providing them with the financial freedom to attend Curtis and have a future in music. 

The institute formerly served as a training ground for orchestral musicians to fill the ranks of the Philadelphia Orchestra, although composers, organists, pianists, guitarists, and singers are offered courses of study as well. Annual enrollment, all merit-based and tuition-free, numbers about 160 students from a myriad of nations and ranging in age from 10 to 26 years old. All pupils attend on full scholarship and admission is extremely competitive. 

Such noted composers as Leonard Bernstein, Samuel Barber, Gian Carlo Menotti, and Vincent Persichetti have studied at Curtis. Legends like pianists Josef Hofmann and Rudolf Serkin have taught here, and the Curtis Institute of Music is still turning out virtuosos like violinist Hilary Hahn. 

“It’s a professional atmosphere,” said soprano Joslin Romphf. “The quality of the productions is very high, and we get to work with great directors and conductors who have different styles. All in all, it ends up being a wonderful educational experience.” 

The institute’s library contains more than 65,000 books, music scores, and records, and its orchestra library houses the Leopold Stokowski Collection.

Curtis graduates perform in most major orchestras in the world, often as principals; half of the Philadelphia Orchestra’s musicians are Curtis alumni. Dozens of events are open to the public including the Curtis Symphony Orchestra (with guest maestros such as Sir Simon Rattle); productions by the Curtis Opera Theatre; and faculty, student and alumni recitals. 

Field Concert Hall seats 240 people and has pretty amazing acoustics Concerts and recitals perform there weekly from October to May. 
Visit https://www.curtis.edu/ to learn more about this great music institute.

The Mannes School of Music

A school for fearless artists

Top Classical, September 2022
Established as a community music school, Mannes soon evolved into the world-class college conservatory it is today. It was more than a century ago that violinist-conductor David Mannes and his wife, pianist Clara Damrosch Mannes, launched a small, innovative conservatory on Manhattan’s Upper East Side.. The school was founded in 1916 and quickly grew in fame and attracted teachers such as: conductor George Szell, the composers Georges Enesco and Bohuslav Martinů, and Hans Weisse. 

In 1940, the couples’ son Leopold Mannes transformed the school and obtained a charter from the State of New York to become a degree-granting college. 

In 2015, Mannes left the West 85th Street location they’d used for 30 years and claimed space in Arnhold Hall, the New School’s new multipurpose building on West 13th Street. 

While the Mannes School of Music has seen a lot of change, including relocation to the West Side, the conservatory endures as a vital institution Mannes School of Music, draw inspiration from the legendary and innovative students. Over the decades, Mannes has been house of notable graduates, including mezzo-soprano Frederica von Stade and pianists Murray Perahia and Richard Goode. 

The Mannes School of Music prides itself on creating “fearless artists” by offering its students a dynamic integration of rigorous training and real-world experience to make their musical careers a reality. Mannes is dedicated to advancing the creative role of music in all aspects of a rapidly changing society. Mannes aim is to develop citizen artists who engage with the world around them through music, in traditional, new, and emergent forms of practice. Today, with a new mission, Mannes is requiring its students to improvise and compose, be technologically fluent, and develop deep skills in community engagement and entrepreneurship. 

Part of the New School University, the Mannes School of Music resides in New York City, attracting students from all over the globe who dive headfirst into Manhattan and form part of one of the world’s most bustling cultural hubs. 

For music students looking for a balance between tradition and an awareness of the rapidly changing demands of the profession, Mannes is an excellent choice.

Berklee College of Music

Will make your wings grow

Top Classical, July 2022
Berklee College of Music is the most highly respected contemporary music school in the country. Renowned artists such as John Mayer, Quincy Jones, Tony Bennett, and many others are among the school’s alumni. Since its establishment in 1945, the private school has been a goal for talented potential artists, who hope to find there the knowledge and tools to succeed in the music world. 

Today, it serves around 4,500 students including people from 100 countries outside of the USA. Beyond music related studies like composition, film scoring, students can pursue other liberal arts-centric that include history and psychology. Mingus the Cat, who’s named after the famous jazz double bassist, is their mascot.  

Students can satisfy their need to share their music with their peers at The Red Room at Café 939. Holding around 200 people, this is an all ages venue run by the university where every genre is welcomed to be performed: Rock, jazz, hip-hop, world plus everything in between can be heard here. Additionally, the university hosts concerts for professional musicians here.  

The Berklee Performance Center is the other venue owned and operated by the university. The venue boasts 1,215 seats and more than 200 high-profile events are hosted here every year. 

Last year for the first time, Berklee College of Music appointed a woman, Erica Muhl, its new president. Muhl became the first woman to hold the title in the school’s 75-year history. 

The experience for most of students results satisfactory overall. However, some of them point out that the liberal arts complementary classes, would need an update in terms of curriculum, and even some of the teachers seem to be fallen out of the modern times. 

Loneliness and incomprehension are other feelings that some students might experiment during their stay: “There were many times while I was enrolled at Berklee when I felt undervalued as a student. Everyone was left to fend for him or herself and if something went wrong there really wasn’t much that could be done about it.” 

Berklee is a good place for musicians to explore on their own passion for music, and to discover the kind of artists they want to become in the future. It’s a place to set their goals, but it can’t be seen as a golden ticket to success and fame.  

If you are looking for great education and the most outstanding resources and facilities to make your artistry shine, Berklee College is definitely one of the best options to be considered.

Royal College of Music

Top institution for Performing Arts in the UK

Top Classical, January 2022
Located in the heart of London’s South Kensington the Royal College of Music is a world-leading music conservatoire with a prestigious history, contemporary outlook and inspiring location. It was founded in 1883 under the auspices of the Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) and the directorship of Sir George Grove to prepare gifted young musicians for entry into the highest echelons of the music profession. The RCM has trained some of the most important figures in British and international music life, including composers such as Holst, Vaughan Williams, Turnage and Britten; conductors such as Leopold Stokowski, Sir Colin Davis and Sir Roger Norrington; singers such as Dame Joan Sutherland, Sir Thomas Allen and Alfie Boe; instrumentalists such as Sir James Galway, John Lill, Gervase de Peyer, and Natalie Clein. 

The college was founded in 1883 to replace the short-lived and unsuccessful National Training School for Music (NTSM). Since its creation the college has been linked with the British royal family. Its patron is currently Queen Elizabeth II. For 40 years Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother was president; in 1993 the Prince of Wales became president. 

The college is situated in South Kensington, the home of science, arts and inspiration, directly opposite the Royal Albert Hall on Prince Consort Road, next to Imperial College and among the museums and cultural centres of Albertopolis.  

With 840 students from more than 55 countries studying at undergraduate, masters or doctoral level, the RCM is a community of talented and open-minded musicians. RCM professors are musicians with worldwide reputations, accustomed to working with the most talented students of each generation to unlock their artistic potential. 

RCM professors are leaders in their fields and further enhancing the inspiring offer to students, each year the RCM is proud to welcome renowned musicians such as of Lang Lang, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Bernard Haitink and many others. The RCM’s many performing groups –including five orchestras, two jazz bands and the RCM International Opera School – are celebrated for the vitality and excellence of their performances and are regularly invited to perform at significant venues both in the UK and overseas. 

The Royal College of Music is considered one of the world’s great conservatoires, training gifted musicians from all over the world for international careers as performers, conductors and composers. In fact, the college has been named the top institution for Performing Arts in the United Kingdom in the 2019 QS World University Rankings. RCM was also ranked the top UK conservatoire for music in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2019 and top music conservatoire for overall student satisfaction in the latest National Student Satisfaction (NSS) Survey according to the Times Higher Education.