musiconline blog

School where music, ballet, theatre, and singing are taught; Conservatory. We have listed these art schools for you as musiconline, which are increasing in number in Turkey day by day.

What Is A Conservatory?

‘Konservatorium’ in German, ‘Conservatorium‘ in Italian, ‘Conservatorio‘, in English ‘conservatory‘ as the origin of the word, it means ‘place where music is made‘. Today, it is considered a school where music, ballet, and theatre are taught.

Turkey's first conservatory was founded in 1914 under the name Darü'l-bedayi-i Osmani within the Municipality of Istanbul. Following the establishment of the school, which consisted of music and theatre departments, the interest in conservatories and art education began to increase.

Today, students who have reached the primary school level can start their conservatory education after taking the aptitude tests and passing certain stages. Almost all state and private institutions form a board before the training season and carry out exams on the announced date.

Only some parts of the conservatories open quotas for students (adults ) who pass the exam made by OSYM. All education outside of these departments must be started at the latest at the age of 11-12.

Conservatories in Turkey

Istanbul University State Conservatory

The foundations of the Istanbul University State Conservatory were laid in 1914. After Darülbedayi left the school identity and transformed into a theater group (Istanbul City Theaters), the school, which was founded in 1917 under the name of Dâr-ül Elhân (House of Tunes) to train teachers who knew both Turkish and Western music, was named as the Istanbul Municipality Conservatory since 1927. In 1986 it joined the body of Istanbul University. Today in the conservatory; besides the Music Department, which includes Composition, Wind Instruments, Stringed Instruments, Orchestral Conducting, Percussion Instruments, Piano, and Singing Subdivisions, education is also provided in the department of Theater and Ballet.

Hacettepe University Ankara State Conservatory

The school, which was established in 1935 within the School of Educational Teachers in Ankara, was accepted by the conservatory regulation after the department, where music teacher was trained in 1938, was connected to Gazi Education Institute, and entered into force in 1940. Today, the conservatory, which started its education life under the leadership of many instructors invited from abroad, continues to provide education in the branches of Piano, Stringed Instruments, Composition and Orchestral Conducting, Wind Instruments, Percussion Instruments, Jazz, Musicology, Ballet, and Theater.

Dokuz Eylul University State Conservatory

The institution, which was opened under the name of 'Izmir Music School' in 1954, was renamed as İzmir State Conservatory in 1958. At the conservatory, which was incorporated into Dokuz Eylul University in 1982, today, education is provided in Music and Stage Department, Ballet, Composition and Orchestral Conducting, Opera and Piano Repair-Making departments.

Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University State Conservatory

The conservatory, which was founded by Osman Hamdi Bey in 1882 under the name of Mekteb-i Sanayi-i Nefise-i Şahane, was established under the name of Istanbul State Conservatory in 1970 and was linked to Mimar Sinan University Faculty of Fine Arts in 1972. The conservatory was founded in 1882 by Osman Hamdi Bey under the name Mekteb-I Sanayi-I Nefise-i şahin and was founded in 1970 under the name of Istanbul State Conservatory and in 1972 it was affiliated to Mimar Sinan University Faculty of Fine Arts. The conservatory is divided into 3 main departments: Stringed Instruments, Piano-Harp-Guitar, Blowing and Percussion Instruments, Composition, and Orchestra Conducting Department, Department of Musicology; General Musicology and Ethnomusicology and Performing Arts Department provide education in Opera, Theater and Ballet.

Istanbul Technical University State Conservatory Of Turkish Music

The Istanbul State Conservatory of Turkish music, a pioneer of other Turkish music conservatories in Anatolia, was founded in Istanbul in 1975 and started its education in 1976. In 1982, the conservatory was established at the Istanbul Technical University and today it offers education in the fields of Instrument Making, Composition, Musicology, Instrument and Voice Training, Turkish Folk Dance, Music Technologies, and Music Theory.

Ege University State Conservatory Of Turkish Music

Turkish Music Conservatory, founded in 1983 in Izmir, started to provide education in 1984 under the body of Ege University. In the academic year of 1989-1990, the Department of Voice Education, Turkish Folk Dance, and Instrument Making was established and the conservatory consisting of four parts has reached today.

Anadolu University State Conservatory

In 1986, within the body of Eskisehir Anadolu University, in the modern sense in Anatolia, in the light of Atatürk's principles, the conservatory was founded to provide Polyphonic Classical Western Music Education and Performing Arts Education, Music Department; Stringed Instruments, Blowing and Percussion Instruments, Piano, Guitar, Harp, Composition, Orchestral Conducting, Music Theory Department of Art, Performing Arts Department; Theater, Acting Puppet, and Shadow Play, Opera Department, Instrument Making Department; String Instruments and Musicology Department. It is expected that the conservatory will open its ballet department soon, adding the Turkish Music Department in 2015.

Gaziantep University Turkish Music Conservatory

Founded in 1987 after Istanbul Technical University and Ege universities, it is Turkey's 3rd Conservatory Of Turkish Music. It started its education in 1988 at the conservatory, It has I. and II. curriculum that Turkish music and Turkish folk dances are taught theoretically and practically based on four-year undergraduate education.

Ankara University State Conservatory

Under the supervision of Prof. Hikmet Şimşek, a bachelor's degree in 2 majors and 4 departments of Performing Arts and Music are offered at the conservatory which was established in Ankara University in 1998. Performing Arts Department; Singing and Modern Dance, Music Department, Instrument, and Composition major programs are available.

Cukurova University State Conservatory

The conservatory, which started its education life in Adana in 1989, has been trained in the Music and Performing Arts Departments, starting from the idea of the establishment of an orchestra in Anatolia, apart from Ankara, Istanbul, and Izmir, by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

Trakya University State Conservatory

Trakya University State Conservatory, which was established in Edirne in 1991, provides education only in the fields of music.

Selcuk University Dilek Sabanci State Conservatory

The conservatory, which was established in Konya in 1991, started education activities in 1993 in the Department of Performing Arts, Theater Department, and Turkish Music Departments. Today, it provides education in 3 different departments: Traditional Turkish Music, Music, and Performing Arts.

Ondokuz Mayıs University State Conservatory

Ondokuz Mayıs University State Conservatory, which was established in Samsun in 1993, provides education in 3 main branches: Music, Performing Arts, and Musicology.

Mersin University State Conservatory

The conservatory established in Mersin in 1994 provides education in the Department of Music and Performing Arts.

Bilkent University Faculty of Music and Performing Arts

Established in Ankara within the body of Bilkent University, this private institution provides education in two main branches, namely Music and Theater.

Fırat University State Conservatory

Fırat University State Conservatory, which was established in Elazığ in 1997, offers undergraduate education in the field of Basic Sciences.

Sakarya University State Conservatory

In the conservatory established in Sakarya in 1997, education is given in the fields of Basic Sciences, Turkish Music, Turkish Folk Dances and Music Technologies.

Uludağ University State Conservatory

Uludağ University State Conservatory, founded in Bursa in 1998, offers education in the branches of String, Wind, and Percussion Instruments, Piano, Composition, and Orchestra Conducting and Turkish Music Department.

Afyon Kocatepe University State Conservatory

Kocatepe University State Conservatory, which was established in Afyon in 1999, started education in 2000. Today, it provides training in Turkish Folk Music, Turkish Art Music, Music Department, and Performing Arts Departments.

Akdeniz University State Conservatory

Akdeniz University State Conservatory, established in Antalya in 1999, provides education in Music, Performing Arts, and Traditional Turkish Music.

Haliç University Conservatory

In the conservatory established in Istanbul in 2000, education is given in the branches of Theater, Turkish Music, Opera, and Concert Singing.

Niğde Ömer Halisdemir University State Conservatory Of Turkish Music

The conservatory was founded in Niğde in 2000 and started teaching in Turkish Music and Musicology in 2013.

Dicle University State Conservatory

Dicle University State Conservatory, founded in 2002, offers education in Basic Sciences, Voice Education, and Turkish Folk Dance.

Başkent University State Conservatory

The school, which was established in Ankara within the Faculty of Fine Arts, Design and Architecture in 2003, was restructured in 2006 as Başkent University State Conservatory. Today, it offers undergraduate and master studies in Composition, Music Theory, Piano, Harp, Guitar, Orchestral and Choral Conducting, String Instruments, Wind Instruments, Choir, Opera, and Popular Music Singing.

Gazi University State Conservatory Of Turkish Music

Gazi University State Conservatory of Turkish Music, located in Ankara, offers 4 different main courses including Instrument, Voice, Composition, and Musicology.

Bülent Ecevit University State Conservatory

Bülent Ecevit University, which was named Zonguldak Karaelmas University until April 2012, has Music, Performing Arts, and Instrument Making departments at the State Conservatory in Zonguldak.

Kafkas University State Conservatory

Kafkas University State Conservatory, founded in 2003 in Kars, offers education in Music and Traditional Turkish music.

Trabzon University State Conservatory

Karadeniz Technical University State Conservatory, established in 2003 as an affiliate of Karadeniz Technical University, offers education in 3 main branches of Musicology, Music and Performing Arts.

Çanakkale On Sekiz Mart University State Conservatory

The State Conservatory of On Sekiz Mart University in Çanakkale offers education in the fields of Performance, Music Theory, Musicology, Music Technologies, Composition, Conducting, Instrument, and Voice.

Gazi Osman Paşa University State Conservatory

Gazi Osman Pasha University State Conservatory, established in Tokat, provides education only in Turkish Music.

Adnan Menderes University State Conservatory

Adnan Menderes University State Conservatory, established in Aydın in 2005, provides education in the main branches of Music, Performing Arts and Turkish Music.

Antakya State Conservatory

Established in Antakya in 2005, Hatay Mustafa Kemal University State Conservatory provides training in Turkish Music.

Kocaeli University State Conservatory

Music, Musicology, and Turkish Music Department are taught at Kocaeli University State Conservatory, which started its education in 2006.

Adıyaman University State Conservatory

Music and Performing Arts, Musicology, and Turkish Music Department are taught at the conservatory which was established in Adıyaman in 2006.

İnönü University State Conservatory

Malatya İnönü University State Conservatory, which started to provide education in 2007, offers education in the main branches of Music and Turkish Folk Music.

Artuklu University State Conservatory

The conservatory, founded in Mardin in 2007, offers training in Music, Musicology, and Performing Arts.

Giresun University State Conservatory

The conservatory, which was established in Giresun in 2008, provides education in Music, Traditional Turkish Music, and Turkish Folk Dances.

Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University State Conservatory Of Turkish Music

Ankara Hacı Bayram Veli University State Conservatory of Turkish music, founded in 2010, consists of three departments: Voice Education, Instrument Education, and Musicology.

Yıldırım Beyazıt University State Conservatory Of Turkish Music

Founded in 2011 in Ankara, Yıldırım Beyazıt University State Conservatory of Turkish music only offers education in Turkish Music.

Ordu University Faculty of Music and Performing Arts

Ordu University Faculty of Music and Performing Arts, which started its education in 2012, has different departments including Music, Turkish Music, Theatre, Opera and Ballet and Turkish Folk Dance.

İskenderun Technical University Mustafa Yazıcı State Conservatory

The conservatory established in Hatay offers education in the Music Department.

In this current list, 41 conservatories are actively training in Turkey.

As musiconline, we hope that our blog post, which lists conservatories in Turkey, will be a good guide for all musicians who are considering studying music in Turkey or who are considering coming to Turkey through programs such as Erasmus. You can register for our email newsletter here to learn more about musiconline, the online music lessons platform that is among the top 5 in the world, and to be informed of our new blog posts.

Music lessons with musiconline are now a click away!