Where can I find reviews and rankings of Music Conservatories around the world? (or at least in Europe)
Asked by
zina (
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)
January 12th, 2009
I’m looking at composition programs/departments specifically, and I’m particularly interested in the graduate/post-graduate level – above a Bachelor’s or other first degree after high school.
I’m particularly interested in European conservatories, and within that I’m especially looking for info on the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest. But my goal is not to find basic info (I’ve gone to the school website and wikipedia page), it’s to find reviews, articles, rankings, student comments, graduate placements, demographics, and other comparisons with schools across Europe – or even better, including Europe & the US, or including all music schools around the world.
Of course internet resources are fabulous, but books etc are great too.
Thanks!
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2 Answers
This is kinda off-topic… but I just came across this and thought it was pretty cool:
http://worldmusiccentral.org/staticpages/index.php/schools
Which by the way leads me to want to note that while I’m only expecting to find classical school info, I’m definitely interested in folk music or other style departments that have graduate degree-granting programs if they exist!!
Of course choosing a country to study in also depends on what scene you want to be most immersed in and connected to (eastern europe, western europe, scandinavia, east coast US, west coast US, just for example—the notion of a particular region having a particular sound or aesthetic may be breaking down, but there are still cultural differences by region in terms of the comp scene/approach)...
And institutional culture is so different from region to region that you need to research specifically what your experience as a foreigner would be in a given program (especially if you’re female; different schools/regions have made very different levels of progress on moving towards equal treatment for female comp students).
Especially at the grad level, your experience is going to depend so much on the faculty—connecting with a private teacher whose work and teaching style most inspire you. Who are your living heroes? Where are they teaching? If they’re not teaching full-time, where are they living? If they’re taking private students (don’t be afraid to contact them directly and ask, or if that’s not possible contact their publisher with a message to forward), have you considered a Fulbright, Rotary Fdn or other grant to go study with them?
(I’m new here but if there’s a private message function, feel free to send me one if you like and we can discuss more…)
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