The Prague Conservatoire
The Prague Conservatoire, Na Rejdisti 1, 110 00 Prague 1phone: +420 222 327 206, +420 222 321 833, fax: +420 222 326 406, e-mail: conserv@prgcons.cz
Founder of the school: The Capital city of Prague, Marianske sq. 2, Prague 1
Conservatory Today
The Prague Conservatory educates and trains professional musical and theatrical artists. It has a number of departments of individual instruments and studies whose heads have far-reaching prerogatives and responsibilities. Operations support is provided by a number of administration and technical personnel. The essential requirement for enrolment at the Prague Conservatory is the completion of basic education. As to the upper age limit, it is set individually depending on the subject of studies. Applicants must pass stringent entrance examinations, often held in several elimination rounds, show talent for the selected subject, overall musical talent as well as physical and psychological dispositions for their selected subject. The studies are terminated with a final examination usually including a public performance by the graduate. After a successful final examination, graduates are awarded a diploma recognised world-wide as proof of professional qualification.
During their studies, students of the Prague Conservatory perform at school concerts and productions, record for radio and television and take part in a number of domestic and international competitions in which they often win major awards, the first steps in their artistic careers. They have opportunities to acquire their first international experience during the tours of the Conservatory orchestras and chamber ensembles all over the Europe. Moreover, the outstanding teachers from abroad are invited to give masterclasses and seminars. The programmes of studies are thus enriched significantly. After leaving school, graduates of the Prague Conservatory can either start their professional performing or teaching career or continue with further studies at the Academy of Performing Arts. In the current academic year there are some 550 Czech and 40 foreign students at the Prague Conservatory.
The Prague Conservatory has its own symphonic and chamber orchestras, several chamber music ensembles as well as a theatre company. Annualy about 250 concerts (chamber, graduate, orchestral) are performed and 40 dramatic performances put on stage. The school is housed in three locations in the centre of the city. It is characterised by a unique atmosphere of creativity, enhanced by the rich musical life of the Czech capital, Prague, the city of Smetana, Dvořák, Janáček and Martinů, and the venue of the annual Prague Spring Music Festival. The school is located next to the Rudolphinum, the Neo-Renaissance home of the Czech Philharmonic. Further upstream is the monumental building of the National Theatre. Students at the Prague Conservatory thus spend six years in a major cultural centre offering ample opportunities to see and hear world's top musical stars and other leading artists. The Conservatory graduates often join the Czech Philharmonic, the National Theatre, the State Opera, the Prague Symphonic or the Radio Symphonic Orchestra. The unique tradition coupled with contemporary approach and professional qualification of the faculty have made the Prague Conservatory an attractive school for generations of students.
Foreign students
Foreign students may choose to study any subject offered, either in the form of regular studies (full curriculum, free of charge, requiring knowledge of Czech) or via special courses (paid, taught in a foreign language). Applicants are admitted entirely on the basis of passing the entrance examinations.
To be admitted to the regular six-year course of study students must take entrance examinations in their major subject (their particular instrument, singing, etc.), music theory, and the Czech language (in the form of conversation).
Admission to special courses (application form to download .pdf or application form to download .xls) requires only an examination in the major subject, which can be completed by sending an audio or audio-video recording that will be assessed by the particular department; the applicant will be notified of the result by mail. The tapes should be sent to the following address:
Prazska konzervatorEmilie Kratochvilova
Na Rejdisti 1
110 00 Praha 1
Czech Repulic
The academic year at the Prague Conservatory begins on September 1 and ends on June 30. Foreign applicants for special courses may also enroll during the course of the academic year except for July and August which are reserved for summer vacation. Potential applicants who have not yet consulted any of the faculty will be referred to the head instructor for their selected major subject, with whom the program, its scope, and its duration may be arranged. Special courses program can be arranged for periods ranging from several months to several years. Students are required to pay their term tuition fees in advance depending on the scope and duration of the arranged study program. As a part of special courses students may participate in some of the chamber ensembles, the choir, or the symphony orchestra. Like Czech students, foreign students may perform in various concerts organized by the Conservatory and also in the end-of-year exams.
Upon completing the course graduates receive a certificate giving the subject, duration, and scope of studies, the name of the head instructor in their major, and a brief description of the student's academic performance. Graduates of the full-fledged six-year course of instruction are awarded a regular certificate of graduation.
Unfortunately, the Prague Conservatory does not have its own dormitory. Nevertheless the school can provide assistance with finding accommodation and catering facilities to some extent.
For more information, contact secretary for foreign students, Ms. Emilie Kratochvilova. kratochvilova@prgcons.cz