St. Petersburg Conservatory was founded in 1862 following the initiative and through the renowned pianist and composer Anton's active organizational skills. Rubinstein. As many as 179 students were enrolled; the number went up to 200 in later years. Many renowned musicians were among the conservatory professors. The names of the first graduates occupy a prominent place in the history of world music. There is the name of the famous Russian composer Peter Tchaikovsky, who was awarded a silver medal upon his graduation in 1865. His name is carved first into a marble plaque.
A significant influence on what will later become a school of composition and theory was N. Rimsky-Korsakov, whose contribution to conservatory life was immense. The conservatory has six departments: composition and conducting, piano, orchestral instruments, voice and stage directing, musicology, and folk instruments. The departments can boast of world-famous composers, conductors, singers, pianists, organists, orchestra instruments performers, opera directors, ballet masters, musicologists.
At the turn of the XXI century, the conservatory aims to revive and expand its predecessors' tradition. Many graduates became laureates of prestigious international competitions, holding prominent places in the musical world. The conservatory is actively involved in International symposiums and master classes both as an organizer and a participant.
For years the conservatory has maintained cooperation with Hamburg, Dresden, Koln, Wroclaw, Rotterdam, Boston, Birmingham, and others. The year 2001 marked the beginning of the annual event «The International Conservatory Week Festival.»The conservatory's pride is the building constructed in 1896, mostly to fit for its purposes; it houses the Opera and ballet theater and Glazunov concert hall.
Currently, the conservatory employs more than 400 teachers and provides education for over 1300 students. Since 1975 the conservatory has been actively enrolling international students whose total number is estimated to be 250 people from 38 countries of the world. Conservatory graduates are among the most sought after in the world: they easily secure jobs in the best symphonic orchestras, perform as soloists for the prestigious stages, direct ballets and operas, at the same time continuing the tradition of the Russian musical education, working as teachers for music schools, academies, and universities.
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