After more than a century, the McGill University Conservatory of Music will close in the late summer of 2022.
McGill announced the decision Monday, citing a number of reasons, such as rising costs and lack of space as other programs grow at the university level. There was also a sharp drop in students during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to the health crisis, more than 500 people were enrolled in private lessons offered by the Conservatory, but that figure dropped to less than 300 last year, according to the university.
“Our best projection for face-to-face enrollment for next year would not exceed 100 students,” Schulich School of Music dean Brenda Ravenscroft and incoming dean Sean Ferguson said in a joint statement.
“The trend is as clear as it is unfortunate.”
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The Conservatory, which is overseen by the university’s Schulich School of Music, “is no longer financially viable or sustainable.” Thousands of students from McGill and the city in general have passed through its doors since the institution was founded in 1904.
“This has been an extremely difficult decision, and was only made after careful consideration and analysis,” the announcement says.
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The university assures that students who are currently enrolled in the Conservatory will be able to complete their courses, but no new enrollments will be made beyond the summer.
Meanwhile, the union representing some of McGill’s professors is committed to fighting the closure. Raad Jassim with the teachers ‘and instructors’ union of the course described it as “very sad news”.
“We’re not going to let this just go off like that,” Jassim said. “Let’s make noise.”
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The closing of the Conservatory is also close to home for alumni and music lovers.
Raya Badran, a freelance music instructor, spent many years at the Conservatory to help hone her talents and practice what she enjoys. The institution opened a “huge door” for him to start teaching music as well.
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“Honestly, I was very excited and quite disappointed and sad about it,” she told Global News.
While closing the Conservatory is “extremely sad” for the city’s staff, teachers and music community, the deans wrote: “We will always be proud of the generations of pre-school to adult students who have improved their music education. through the Conservatory, and the generations of instructors who made such education possible. “
– with files from Tim Sargeant of Global News
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