Founded in 1950 the conservatory offers courses to both citizens and foreign students. The school caters to all levels from primary to postgraduate. Undergraduate programmes of four or five years are offered in composition, conducting, musicology, voice and opera, piano, orchestral instruments and traditional Chinese musical instruments. There's a six-year middle school with courses in piano, orchestral instruments, traditional instruments and music theory and two primary schools cater to full-time and evening students. There is also an evening university for mature students.

In recent years, the conservatory has developed strong relationships with overseas institutions and individuals. Foreign musicians and scholars are frequently invited to teach or offer lectures at the conservatory which, in turn, sends its own faculty members and students to other countries to pursue further studies, lecture or give performances. Conservatory students and teachers participate in the China Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Chinese Traditional Musical Instruments Ensemble, the Conservatory Students Chorus, the Middle School Students Orchestra, and the Primary School Students Performing Group.

The conservatory campus covers 53,000 square metres. The Conservatory Music Library accommodates over 500,000 volumes and is the largest of its kind in China. The conservatory also owns over 500 pianos and a large number of musical instruments. Educational facilities include an electronic music studio with advanced recording and video equipment and a violin workshop. New: 1 Oberlinger-organ from Germany Nov. 2013

The conservatory publishes the Journal of the Central Conservatory of Music. It is generally considered to be the top Chinese academic journal in the field of musicology.

Bachelor's degrees (4 years)

• Musicology (5 years)
• Composition and Compositional Theory (5 years)
• Vocal Singing (5 years)
• Conducting (5 years)
• Keyboard Instruments Performance
• Wind and Stringed (Percussional) Instruments Performance
• Chinese Musical Instruments Performance
• The Arts of Instruments Making and Repair

Master's degrees (3 years)

• Musicology
• Composition and Compositional Theory
• Vocal Singing
• Conducting
• Keyboard Instruments Performance (4 years)
• Wind and Stringed (Percussional) Instruments Performance (4 years)
• Chinese Musical Instruments Performance (4 years)
• The Arts of Instruments Making and Repair (4 years)

Doctoral degrees (3 years)

• Musicology
• Composition and Compositional Theory

• China Conservatory of Music

• Central Conservatory of Music website
• Campus real three-dimensional map