St. Petersburg Conservatory

St. Petersburg Conservatory was founded in 1862 following the initiative and through the active organizational skills of the renowned pianist and composer Anton. Rubinstein. During its first year as many as 179 students were enrolled, the number went up to 200 in later years. Many renowned musicians were among the conservatory professors. The names of the first graduates occupy a prominent place in the history of world music. Among them there is the name of the famous Russian composer Peter Tchaikovsky, who was awarded a silver medal upon his graduation in 1865. His name is carved first into a marble plaque. A great influence on what will later become a school of composition and theory was N. Rimsky-Korsakov, whose contribution to conservatory life was immense. Currently, the conservatory has 6 departments: department of composition and conducting, piano, orchestral instruments, voice and stage directing, musicology, and folk instruments. The departments can boast of the world famous composers, conductors, singers, pianists, organists, orchestra instruments performers, opera directors, ballet masters, musicologists.