Main building of the Prague Conservatory, viewed from Letná hill
The Prague Conservatory (Czech: Pražská konzervatoř) is a public music school in Prague, Czech Republic, founded in 1808.[1] Currently, the school offers four- or six-year courses, which can be compared to the level of a high school diploma in other countries. Graduates can continue their training by enrolling in an institution that offers undergraduate education.
In 1810, the Union for the Improvement of Music in Bohemia (Jednota pro zvelebení hudby v Čechách) was formed, which ensured the financial operation of the school for the next hundred years.[2] Classes started in 1811, after a delay caused by the Napoleonic Wars.
In 1891, Antonín Dvořák joined the faculty as head of the composition department and served as the school's director between 1901 and 1904. Dvořák's students included the composers Vítězslav Novák, Josef Suk (who later also served as director of the conservatory), Rudolf Friml, Oskar Nedbal, and Franz Lehár. Another director of the school was pianist Vilém Kurz.
In 1945, a number of professors and students of higher classes at the conservatory left to found the Academy of Performing Arts.[3] Theatre and ballet departments were also opened that year, from which the independent Dance Conservatory was created in 2001.
The Prague Conservatory offers instruction in several instruments, including accordion, guitar, piano, and organ, as well as in singing, composition, conducting, and acting. The institution has its own symphonic and chamber orchestras, a choir, and a theatre company.
Locations
The conservatory's main campus is located at Na rejdišti 77/1, Prague 1. It has two ancillary locations: one situated within Pálffyho Palace, in Prague's Malá Strana, and the other in Prague's Old Town.
Directors
The following is a list of directors of the Prague Conservatory:
