General correspondence of the conservatory

Collection

Postal address:: Rue de la Régence 30 / Regentschapsstraat 30, 1000 Bruxelles

Creator/accumulator:: Conservatoire Royal de Musique de Bruxelles; Koninklijk Muziekconservatorium te Brussel

Scope and content:: This fonds mainly consists of correspondence. We notably find letters concerning the droits d’inscription (the right to enrol) accorded to foreign students and the hiring of new professors. Numerous young Jewish artists from Russia, Central and Eastern Europe studied at the Conservatoire from the end of the 19th century.

Administrative/biographical history:: The Conservatoire Royal de Musique de Bruxelles (Royal Conservatory of Brussels) is, with that of Liège, one of the oldest state conservatories in Belgium. The conservatories of Ghent, Antwerp and Mons were created respectively in 1871, 1898 and 1948. In the 1930s the Conservatory of Brussels had nearly 600 students. In 1876 it relocated to the rue de la Régence. In 1966 the Conservatory was divided into two parts, one French-speaking, the other Dutch-speaking, each with its own director, secretariat and administration. (E. Vandewoude, Inventaris van het archief van het Koninklijk Muziekconservatorium te Brussel (1832-1834, 1876-1931), T 297, Bruxelles, ARA-AGR, 1995.)

Subject terms:: Correspondence; Education; Education--Students; Education--Teachers and professors; Music; Music--Musicians

Access, restrictions:: Consultation is possible by appointment with the librarian of the Conservatoire.

Finding aids:: Composition de la commission administrative et commission de surveillance de 1832 à 1876, ARC 008.