Conservatory of Ho Chi Minh City
The Conservatory of Ho Chi Minh City is a conservatory located at 112, Nguyen Du Street, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam that provides music education in undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate level for the southern region of Vietnam. It is one of three conservatories in Vietnam (besides Hanoi Conservatory of Music and Hue Conservatory).
History
Historically, the precursor of this university was Music Division of Gia Dinh Art College. In 1956, this Division is split from Gia Dinh Art College to become Saigon National Music School. When the dramatics faculty was added to the school education programme, this school was renamed Saigon National Music and Dramatics School with 2 main education fields: music (European music and Vietnamese national music or Vietnamese traditional music) and dramatics (principally Vietnamese traditional dramatics).
After the Fall of Saigon on April 30th 1975, the school was renamed Ho Chi Minh City National Music School. The dramatics division was split to establish Ho Chi Minh City Dramatics School (today Ho Chi Minh City Cinematics and Dramatics College) in 1976.
From 1978, the dancing education program was added to the school education scope. On February 2, 1980, the school was given university status by the Vietnamese government and was renamed Ho Chi Minh City Conservatory.
Education courses
The schools scope of education includes the following courses:
- Long-term high school music course (in 9 to 11 years for pupils from 7 years old or more).
- Short-term high school music course (in 4 years for students from 14 to 24).
- University level in 4 years.
- University in 5 years (for students who prepare to take master course).
- Master course in 2 years.
- Postgraduate trainee course in 1 years.
Faculties
- Theory, music composition and conducting.
- Piano
- Symphony Musical Instrument including string (violon, violoncelle, violonalto, contrebasse), clarinet (Flute, Hautbois, Clarinet, Basson, Cor, Trompette, Trombone, Tuba) and Percussion.
- Vocal singing
- Vietnamese Traditional Musical Instrument (two-chord fiddle, monochord, 36-chord zither, bamboo flute).
- Guitar, Mandoline, Accordion.
Organization
There are over 100 lecturers, many of which are famous musicians, composers and researchers, and experienced pedagogogists graduated from European conservatoires in world’s most famous music centres (Russia, Eastern European countries, UK, France, Italy, Germany…). The conservatoire tends to teach classical music schools for their students. Apart from the education program, the conservatoire hold some orchestras:
- A symphony orchestra.
- An adult orchestra.
- A child orchestra.
- A Vietnamese traditional orchestra.
- Guitar, Mandoline, Accordéon (GMAC) orchestra.
There are two concert rooms (500 seats and 100 seats respectively) with two performances weekly. Many of the conservatoire graduates has become famous singers and composers in the country. The onservatoire has won many medals and awards nationally and internationally, namely:
- Award at J.B.Bach International Concours in Leipzig, Germany in 1980.
- Two first awards in National Concours in 1986.
- Autumne Concours in 1993: Violon first award (adult), violon second award (children)….
The conservatoire has been awarded several Labor Medals by Vietnamese Presidents.