The Kazan State Conservatoire, named after N. Zhiganov (Academy), was founded in 1945. The graduates of Moscow and St. Petersburg conservatoires laid down the best Russian professional musical education traditions in this institute of higher education. Preservation and development of pedagogical traditions make security in the training and education of new generations of talented musicians. In the conservatoire, they are teaching such people as I.S. Dubinina (the class of J. Zak and L. Oborin), N.A. Fomina (the class of G. Neigauz), V.A. Stolov (the class of E. Ghilels), E.V. Burnasheva (the class of E. Monaszon), R.K. Abdullin (the class of L. Roisman), V.A. Afanasyev (the class of U. Jankelevich), M.G. Akhmetov (the class of D. Tzyganov), V.G. Lukyanov (the class of S. Kazachkov), L.V. Brazhnik (the class of M. Tarakanov), Z.D. Sungatullin (the class of Z. Bayrasheva), A.L. Maklyghin (the class of U. Kholopov), V.R. Dulat-Aleev (the class of E. Sorokina), R.A. Khalitov (the class of A. Tikhonov, F. Mansurov), S.M. Khabibulin (the class of I. Musin).
Kazan conservatoire is one of the leading ones among institutes of higher education in the Russian Federation. Educational programs are realized on eight faculties and 20 subdepartments, where are getting trained about 700 students and postgraduate students from different regions of Russia and China, Korea, Japan, and the USA. Such students' teams as a symphonic orchestra, choir, opera workshop, chamber orchestra, folk orchestra, the orchestra of Kazan conservatoire "Tatarica"- make good progress take an active part in the concert activity. Many of them performed abroad repeatedly.
The conservatoire is the center of international, All-Russian, regional, and republic competitions, festivals, conferences, workshops, which occur in the republic. Such international festivals as "Pianoforum," "Organo Pleno," Kazan Choir Assembly, the competition of singers and folk instruments performers by S. Saydashev, the competition of chamber singers accompanists by R. Yakhin, and others became traditional ones. During many years such experts of the art of music as L. Kremer, S. Stadler, S. Roldughin, A. Bonduryansky, and others visit the conservatoire with their concerts, master classes, and methodological help.
During the last decade, Kazan conservatoire secured its role as the region leading scientific center to study modern and traditional cultural problems.
Since 2003 here operates the Dissertation Board by specialty of "Musical Art" 35 applicants from Kazan and other Russian towns are conferred by the academic degree of the candidate of Art Criticism. The faculty of additional professional training and the performing art history and theory subdepartment was opened here in 2007. Also, in 2009 here was opened the subdepartment of music applied technologies.
Kazan conservatoire's good progress and achievements are determined much by the high scientific, creative, and mastery level of the teaching staff. There are ten doctors of science, 36 professors, 31 candidates of science, 47 associate professors among 184 tutors. Thirty-three persons are conferred on Russian Federation dignities, 80 persons- on the Republic of Tatarstan ones, and 11- of Russia's national republic. Seventy-seven tutors are conferred on titles of laureates, All-Russia, and international competitions winners of an award. The Kazan State Conservatoire of music (Academy) named after N. Zhiganov means:
- The center of the musical culture of the multiethnic Volga and Ural regions,
- High-quality education,
- Competent performer teachers and scientists,
- The Dissertation Board on the academic degree of candidate of Art Criticism (specialty 17.00.02)
- Postgraduate study (full-time and correspondence tuition),
- One of the largest, among the Russian conservatories, musical library funds (about 450 000 units of issue: books, notes, audio, and video materials, audio disks),
- Editorial and publishing department,
- Four concert halls,
- A big concert 3-manuals organ of the "Flentrop" firm,
- Unique concert-enlightening programs.
