Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico

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The Conservatory of Music of Puerto Rico (Conservatorio de Música de Puerto Rico in Spanish) is a famous music school and state university in San Juan, Puerto Rico. It has hosted a number of internationally renowned musicians as students as well as faculty, and has a longstanding relationship with the classical music movement in Puerto Rico, including the annual Casals Festival and the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra (PRSO).

Contents 1 History 2 Education Programs 3 Campus 4 Accreditation 5 Affiliates 6 External links

[edit] History

Following the success of the Casals Festival held in San Juan in 1957, state legislator Ernesto Ramos Antonini proposed several laws which would create the Puerto Rico Symphony Orchestra that same year, and the Conservatory of Music in June 1959. The Conservatory was originally envisioned as a school for preparing musicians for the PRSO and for preparing music teachers for the state public education system. Throughout the years, however, the Conservatory has become a musical landmark in the Caribbean, providing advanced academic studies in various music areas to local students as well as international visitors.

Since its inception, the Conservatory has been under the administration of several state government agencies, including the Fostering Economic Company (Compañía de Fomento Económico in Spanish), the Administration for the Encouragement of Arts and Culture (Administración para el Fomento de las Artes y Cultura, or AFAC, in Spanish), and the Musical Arts Corporation (Corporación de las Artes Musicales, or CAM, in Spanish). It remained a part of CAM until 1995, when state law granted it fiscal and administrative autonomy.

[edit] Education Programs

The Conservatory offers a variety of post-secondary degrees in music, including Bachelor's degrees in musical composition, music education, choir, classical guitar, symphony instruments, jazz, Caribbean music, and piano; and master’s degrees in music education, choir, classical guitar, symphony instruments, and piano; as well as continuing education programs and teacher certifications. In addition to its regular academic programs, it organizes various international student exchange programs with music schools all around the world.

The Conservatory also offers programs for children, teenagers and adults with the purpose of encouraging music appreciation within the local community. These programs do not offer degrees or certifications, but provide basic to near expert level teaching to regular citizens who are not in its formal academic program. These programs include:

• Children Studies (0 - 11 ½ years)
• Suzuki Studies (3½ - 17 ½ years)
• Choir Studies (7 - 17 ½ years)
• Pre-college Studies (12 - 17 ½ years)
• Youth and Adult Studies (12 years and older)

[edit] Campus

Located in the Hato Rey section of the island capital opposite the Telemundo Puerto Rico building, the Conservatory is composed of three main buildings and features 65 classrooms, a musical instrument store and string instrument rent shop, a recording studio, an eatery, and two concert halls. The main hall, Sala Jesús María Sanromá, has hosted a variety of concerts for the nearby communities featuring students, teachers, the PRSO, and famous international performers. Currently, the Conservatory has plans to move its current campus to the Miramar section of capital, close to the historic Old San Juan section.

[edit] Accreditation

The Conservatory is accredited by various federal and state educational associations, including:

• National Association of Schools of Music
• Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools
• National Guild of Community Schools for the Arts
• Puerto Rico Secondary Education Council (Consejo de Educación Superior, in Spanish)

[edit] Affiliates

The Conservatory is a participating member of various US, Puerto Rico, and international music and arts associations, including:

• American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admission Officers
• Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities
• Puerto Rico Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
• American Library Association
• Music Library Association
• Puerto Rico Librarians Society (Sociedad de Bibliotecarios de Puerto Rico, in Spanish)
• International Association of Music Libraries
• ARCHIRED of Puerto Rico
• Caribbean University Research and Institutional Libraries Association
• National Association for Music Education
• Suzuki Association of the Americas
• Kindermusik International
• Association of Fund-Raising Professionals
• International Personnel Management Association

[edit] External links

• Official site (Spanish)
• See the new Conservatory campus (planned) (Spanish)