As the pioneer and incubator of professional music education in modern China, Shanghai Conservatory of Music (SHCM) has been widely reputed to be the “cradle of musicians” for its prestigious status in China’s music education. It is one of the universities supported by China’s first and newest-round Double First-Class Initiative. The Conservatory is currently under the leadership of Ms. Pei Xiaoqian, Secretary of the CPC Committee of SHCM, and President Liao Changyong.

The SHCM, formerly the National Conservatory of Music, was founded by Mr. Cai Yuanpei, who also served as its first president, and Dr. Hsiao Yiu-mei on November 27, 1927. It is the first independent music institution of higher education in China. With the strategic vision of developing Chinese music by learning from the West, the Conservatory has laid the basis for professional music education in China with its distinctive, multidisciplinary structure. In 1956, it became a key university under direct administration of the Ministry of Culture of the P.R. China and received its current name. Now it is jointly administered by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China and the Shanghai Municipal Government. In 2017 and 2022, the SHCM was twice listed among the universities supported by the Double First-Class Initiative. In 2018 and 2022, it was twice selected as a member of Local High-level University Construction Scheme of Shanghai.

The Conservatory consists of over ten departments and divisions, including the Composition and Conducting Department, Musicology Department, Orchestral Instruments Department, Voice and Opera Department, Piano Department, Chinese Traditional Instruments Department, Music Education Department, Music Engineering Department, Arts Administration Department, Modern Instruments & Percussion Department, Musical Theatre Department, Digital Media Art School, School of Marxism and the General Education Division, etc.

As the first Chinese conservatory that has the authority to confer doctoral degree in three first-level disciplines including Musicology & Dancology, Art Theory and Drama & Film Studies, the SHCM takes great pride in its full-fledged, multidisciplinary music education system featuring an interconnected curriculum covering music creation, music performance, music theory and applied music. In 2017, the Musicology & Dancology program of SHCM was rated A+ in the 4th round of disciplinary assessment by the Ministry of Culture of the P.R. China. The Art Theory program was ranked among the top 20% in China with a B+, and Drama & Film Studies the top 30% with a B. In the 1st professional degree program evaluation in 2018, the SHCM won an A+ among Chinese art (music) universities. The SHCM has developed a complete and integral system that combines elementary, secondary, and higher education, including programs for both undergraduate and graduate (Master and Doctorate) students, two postdoctoral mobile research stations, as well as an affiliated secondary school and an elementary section.

Since its founding, the SHCM has been committed to its mission of training professional musical talents, cultivating the sense of beauty and harmony in Chinese people, and developing Chinese musical art by introducing Western music while inheriting the excellent traditional Chinese music. At the same time, it consistently adheres to the motto of “Harmony, Determination, Dignity and Sincerity”. Deeply concerned with the national destiny, the Conservatory always stands at the forefront of musical art development, and has made unremitting efforts to improve the system and mode of professional music education in China, playing a leading role in the progress of China’s professional music. Boasting its profound historical experience and distinctive cultural traditions, it has nurtured several generations of outstanding Chinese music talents and incubated numerous masterpieces under the guidance of prestigious teachers, making remarkable contributions to China’s music education and cultural development cause.