Shanghai Conservatory of Music Shanghai Conservatory of Music

The Shanghai Conservatory of Music (simplified Chinese: 上海音乐学院; traditional Chinese: 上海音樂學院; pinyin: Shànghǎi Yīnyuè Xuéyuàn) was founded on November 27, 1927 as the first music institution of higher education in China. Its teachers and students have won numerous awards both home and abroad, thus earning the conservatory the name "the cradle of musicians".

History

The Shanghai Conservatory of Music is a music institute famous both at home and abroad. It grew out of the Shanghai National Conservatory of Music, which was established by Mr. Cai Yuanpei on November 27, 1927. Dr. Xiao Youmei (Shio Yiu-mei) 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 (1929), Branch of National Conservatory of Music (1943), Shanghai National Training School of Music (1945), Shanghai and Huadong Branches of Chinese Conservatory of Music (early 1950s). It received its current name in 1956.

Programs

The Shanghai Conservatory of Music consists of thirteen departments. It involves six disciplines and twenty-three 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 oriental instruments, and a unique music publishing house.

A six-year secondary school and a three-year elementary section were established separately 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

• Arts administration
• Composition
• Conducting
• General Education
• Modern Instruments & Percussion
• Musical
• Music Education
• Music Engineering
• Musicology
• Orchestral Instruments
• Piano
• Traditional Instruments
• Voice Opera
• Secondary Professional Music School Affiliated to Shanghai Conservatory of Music

Faculty and student body

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

Notable alumni

• Lü Ji (composer), composer of revolutionary music
• Hai-Ye Ni
• Muhai Tang
• Yuan-Qing Yu
• Li Wei Qin
• Liu Fang
• Jian Wang (cellist)
• Zhou Yi (musician)
• Jiaxin Cheng
• Rui Shi Zhuo
• Yang Erche Namu
• Liang Geng
• Jampa Tsering
• Wang Jianzhong, composer and pianist