The UMKC Conservatory of Music has earned national and international recognition through its music and dance performance, composition, teaching and scholarship. The most comprehensive music and dance educational center in the Midwest since 1906, the Conservatory boasts more than 80 faculty widely recognized as world-class scholars, artists, teachers and leaders in their fields.
The Conservatory attracts many of the finest students in the world with more than 600 musicians and dancers currently enrolled. The students are nearly equally divided between undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The Conservatory consists of six divisions including Composition, Music Theory and Musicology, Dance, Instrumental Studies, Keyboard Studies, Music Education/Music Therapy, and Vocal Studies.
The Conservatory offers the Bachelor of Music degree with majors in performance, composition, and music theory; the Bachelor of Music Education, in choral, instrumental and music therapy; the Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance; The Bachelor of Arts in Music featuring a liberal arts curriculum; and the BA in music therapy.
The Master of Music degree offers emphasis areas in performance, composition, conducting, music history and literature, and music theory. The Master of Arts degree includes emphasis areas in music and music therapy while the Masters in Music Education offers advanced training for a career in teaching. Doctor of Musical Arts in performance, composition and conducting and the Interdisciplinary Ph.D in music education are the terminal music degrees offered at UMKC, the designated campus for visual and performing arts study within the University of Missouri System.
Complementing the Conservatory's degree programs is the Community Music and Dance Academy which bridges the national reputation and excellence of the Conservatory with the local musical needs of the Kansas City Community. The Academy currently offers private and group instruction to over 600 area musicians and dancers using current Conservatory graduate students, alumni, and other professionals as instructional personnel. The Academy is also the Conservatory's office for music camps and festivals in the Kansas City area and provides continuing education training through workshops and in-services to area educators and therapists.
The Conservatory of Music receives valuable gift and volunteer support from the Kansas City community. In fact, when accounting for the work of these community support groups, their efforts in fundraising, volunteer time and as goodwill ambassadors can be valued for as much as 20% of the Conservatory's total resources. The Friends of the Conservatory (membership of nearly 200) produce an annual fundraising dinner and performance that results in over $170,000 in scholarship money each year. This and other initiatives, including membership fees, result in contributions from the Friends exceeding $250,000 annually. The Conservatory Women's Committee (membership of approximately 130) raises more than $40,000 in scholarship support annually. The Alumni Board provides service and advocacy, including an annual "Careers Night" for local high school students.
The UMKC Conservatory of Music is a leader in the cultural growth of Kansas City and the region. It has been the source of tens of thousands of concerts, recitals and masterclasses in Kansas City and the birthplace of several of Kansas City's performing arts organizations. Outstanding faculty and alumni have played key roles in the founding of the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Friends of Chamber Music, Kansas City Chorale, NewEar Contemporary Ensemble and the Kansas City Ballet.
Conservatory faculty and students have achieved major accomplishments. As examples, a faculty member received the world's most prestigious composers' grant, the Charles Ives Living Award. Students have achieved top honors in some of the world's most prestigious competitions including the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition, the Metropolitan Opera National Council Competition, the National Federation of Music Clubs, Music Teachers National Association, the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and many more.
These successes and many others speak to the enormous talent and dedication of the Conservatory's faculty and students. These successes, collaborative initiatives, quality academic and performance programs, and generous community support all have advanced the Conservatory toward its vision, "to achieve national and international stature as a premier conservatory."
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