- Source: Royal Conservatory of Ghent
The Royal Conservatory of Ghent (Dutch: Koninklijk Conservatorium Gent) is a historic conservatory and a royally chartered musical institution in Ghent, Belgium. It is now a part of the University College Ghent.
History
The Royal Conservatory of Ghent is a royally chartered musical institution, founded in 1835 under King Leopold I. The conservatory's founding director was Martin-Joseph Mengal. Other directors have included well-known Belgian composers such as Adolphe Samuel and Émile Mathieu. The current dean is Filip Rathé.
The Royal Conservatory is one of four conservatories in Flanders and eight in Belgium. In addition to classical instrumental and vocal studies, it offers degrees in jazz, pop, music production, composition and instrument building. It offers bachelor's and master's degrees (including an English master's degree in music), and an Advanced Master of Contemporary Music. The school also offers post-graduate degrees in music as well as a European Postgraduate in Arts in Sound.
The school traditionally attaches great importance to the practice of chamber music. Since 2006, the school has mounted an annual opera production. It also has two main performance venues, the Miry Concert Hall and Club Telex.
In 1995, the Royal Conservatory was one of sixteen Belgian institutions merged into the University College Ghent. It provides training for about 480 students, with master's programs for drama and music. Since 2011, together with the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (KASK), it forms part of the School of Arts of the University College Ghent.
Notable alumni
Notable students and faculty at the conservatory have included François-Auguste Gevaert, who studied directly under Mengal in 1841, Paul-Henri-Joseph Lebrun, who studied here and became a professor, and Edouard Potjes, who served as professor of piano for 22 years. Other famous alumni include:
Julien Paul Blitz
Dirk Brossé
Lucien Goethals
Walter Hus
Karel Miry
Karel Paukert
Annelies Van Parys
Jane Vignery
Directors
Martin-Joseph Mengal 1835–1851
Jean Andries 1798–1872
Adolphe Samuel 1871–1898
Emile Mathieu 1898–1924
Martin Lunssens 1924–1936
Jules-Toussaint de Sutter 1936–1954
Léon Torck 1954–1968
Gabriël Verschraegen 1968–1981
Johan Huys 1981–1997
Jan Rispens 1997–2009
Maarten Weyler 2009–2011
Assistant Directors
Karel Miry 1871–1889
Supervisors
Victor Van den Hecke de Lembeke 1855–1870
Gustave Louis Marie De Burbure De Wesembeek 1870–1871
Deans of the School of Arts, University College Ghent
Wim de Temmerman 2011–2019
Lars Kwakkenbos 2019–2020
Filip Rathé 2021–present
References
External links
KASK & Conservatory