Saint Petersburg Conservatory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Saint Petersburg Conservatory |
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The conservatory, as seen in 2013
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| Website | https://www.conservatory.ru/en |
The N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov Saint Petersburg State Conservatory is a famous music school in Saint Petersburg, Russia. It is often called the Saint Petersburg Conservatory for short. This school helps students learn about music, from playing instruments to composing new songs. In 2004, about 1,400 students studied here, taught by around 275 teachers.
History of the Conservatory
The conservatory first opened its doors in 1862. It was started by the Russian Music Society and a very talented pianist and composer named Anton Rubinstein. He was the first director of the school.
In 1871, a famous composer named Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov became a professor here. He taught at the conservatory for almost 40 years! Because of his important work, the school was named after him in 1944. You can even see a bronze statue of him outside the building today.
Anton Rubinstein returned to lead the school again in 1887. He wanted to make the school even better. He made the classes tougher and the entrance tests harder. He resigned in 1891 due to disagreements with some government rules.
The building you see today was built in the 1890s. Over the years, as the city of Saint Petersburg changed its name, the conservatory also changed its name. It was once called the Petrograd Conservatory and later the Leningrad Conservatory.
Many famous musicians and composers have studied or taught at this school. Some of the most well-known include:
- Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, a world-famous composer.
- Sergei Prokofiev, another great composer.
- Dmitri Shostakovich, who also taught at the school in the 1960s.
- Clara Rockmore, who was only four years old when she started studying violin here. She later became famous for playing the theremin, a unique electronic instrument.
See also
In Spanish: Conservatorio de San Petersburgo para niños
