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Suggest pagesBoston Conservatory at Berklee
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| Type | Private performing arts conservatory |
|---|---|
| Established | 1867 |
Parent institution | Berklee College of Music |
| Senior Vice President and Executive Director | Cathy Young |
| Students | Approximately 750 |
| Location | , , United States |
| Campus | Urban |
| Website | bostonconservatory |
Boston Conservatory at Berklee (formerly The Boston Conservatory) is a performing arts conservatory associated with the Berklee College of Music, a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It grants undergraduate and graduate degrees in music, dance, and theater.[1]
Founded in 1867, the conservatory offers Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, Master of Fine Arts, and Master of Music degrees as well as Graduate Performance Diplomas, Artist Diplomas, and Professional Studies Certificates.[2]
In 2016, Berklee College of Music and The Boston Conservatory merged. The combined institution, located in Boston's historic Back Bay and Fenway neighborhoods, is now known as "Berklee," with the conservatory being "Boston Conservatory at Berklee."[3]
History[edit]
On February 11, 1867, violinist and composer Julius Eichberg founded The Boston Conservatory as a professional training academy and a community music school. It was one of the first conservatories to grant admission to African Americans and women.[citation needed]
In 1873, Eichberg's operetta “The Doctor of Alcontara” was performed at the conservatory by the first African-American opera company in the U.S.[citation needed]
In 1878, Eichberg established the Eichberg String Quartet, the first professional female quartet.[citation needed]
In 1893, upon Eichberg's death, direction was assumed by R. Marriner Floyd, with Herman P. Chelius, organist and composer, serving as the musical director. Under their direction, the school was first incorporated in 1896.[citation needed]
After the turn of the 20th century, the conservatory merged with the National Associated Studios of Music, and created the first "grand opera" department in the U.S.[citation needed]
In 1943, Jan Veen established The Boston Conservatory Dance Division, the first program to emphasize both classical ballet and America's emerging modern dance. In 1951, the school gained authority to award Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees in drama and dance.[citation needed]
Prior to 2015, The Boston Conservatory was an independent private college with accredited programs in music, dance, and theater. The conservatory has presented more than 700 performances each year.[4]
In 2015, The Boston Conservatory began talks with Berklee College of Music to explore a merger of the two schools.[5]
On January 19, 2016, the two schools announced that they would merge under an institutional umbrella called Berklee, which now consists of Boston Conservatory at Berklee, Berklee College of Music, Berklee Online, and Berklee Valencia.[6][7]
During the George Floyd protests in 2020, long-running complaints about racially insensitive language used by musical theatre teacher Christopher Caggiano forced him to resign. Students also complained about racist casting of minority groups, racially insensitive behavior by other faculty, and about being reprimanded for speaking publicly about such concerns.[8]
Academics[edit]
The school awards the Bachelor of Fine Arts, Bachelor of Music, Master of Fine Arts, and Master of Music degrees as well as Graduate Performance Diplomas, Artist Diplomas, and Professional Studies Certificates.[9] It also offers training and education programs during the summer for actors, artists, dancers, and musicians.
Student life[edit]
Instead of dormitories, Boston Conservatory at Berklee uses Victorian brownstones for on-campus housing. Undergraduate rooms consist of quints, quads, triples, doubles, and singles.
Approximately 29% of students live on campus.[10]
People[edit]
Notable alumni[edit]
Notable faculty[edit]
Boston Conservatory Leadership[edit]
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Academics | Boston Conservatory". bostonconservatory.berklee.edu. Boston Conservatory. Retrieved 2017-11-17.
- ^ "History | Boston Conservatory". bostonconservatory.berklee.edu. Boston Conservatory. Retrieved 2017-11-17.
- ^ "About | Berklee and Boston Conservatory". bostonconservatory.berklee.edu. Boston Conservatory. Retrieved 2017-11-26.
- ^ https://bostonconservatory.berklee.edu/
- ^ "Berklee College of Music Exploring Merger with Boston Conservatory". 26 June 2015.
- ^ "Berklee and The Boston Conservatory Agree to Merger, Set the Stage for New International Standard in Performing Arts Education | Berklee College of Music". www.berklee.edu. Berklee College of Music. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
- ^ Pohle, Allison (20 January 2016). "Berklee College of Music and The Boston Conservatory will merge". Boston.com. Retrieved 2016-01-20.
- ^ Allegations of systemic racism roil Boston Conservatory
- ^ "Music | Boston Conservatory". bostonconservatory.berklee.edu. Boston Conservatory. Retrieved 2017-11-26.
- ^ "Boston Conservatory". The Princeton Review. Retrieved 2014-09-05.
External links[edit]
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Coordinates: 42°20′46″N 71°05′24″W / 42.3462°N 71.0901°W
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