Prague Conservatory

The Prague Conservatory is a public music school in Prague, Czech Republic, founded in 1808. Currently, the school offers four- or six-year courses, which can be compared to the level of a high school diploma in other countries. Graduates can continue their training by enrolling in an institution that offers undergraduate education. History The Prague Conservatory was founded in 1808 by local aristocrats and burghers following the example of the Conservatoire de Paris (est. 1795) and the Milan Conservatory (est. 1807). The founders are listed as František Josef of Vrtba, František Josef of Sternberg and Manderscheid, Jan Nepomuk Nostitz-Rieneck, Kristián Kryštof Clam-Gallas, Bedřich Nostitz, Karel of Firmian, Jan Josef Pachta of Rájov, and František Josef of Klebelsberg. In 1810, the Union for the Improvement of Music in Bohemia was formed, which ensured the financial operation of the school for the next hundred years. Classes started in 1811, after a delay caused by the Napoleonic Wars. Bedřich Diviš Weber was appointed the first director of the school, which was originally located in the monastery next to St. Giles' Church.