China Connection: Shenyang Conservatory of Music

Northern Arizona University and The Shenyang Conservatory of Music have forged a special relationship through which students at both institutions can interact with their counterparts. broaden their educational experience, and deepen their cultural understanding of the globally-oriented world in which they will interact. The program has fostered cultural exchanges, as well as exchange trips by students and faculty from both countries. Plans continue to be developed to launch other initiatives that will act as a forum for professional growth by both faculty and students.

Shenyang Conservatory of Music
Shenyang, Liaoning Province
People’s Republic of China

The Shenyang Conservatory of Music (SYCM) is one of nine national conservatories in China. While some universities and normal schools have recently added music programs in their quest to become comprehensive institutions, these nine conservatories remain the most prestigious institutions for music study in China.

The SYCM was founded in 1938 as the Lu Xun Art Academy in the town of Yan’an, located in Shanxi province in northwest China. The Academy moved to Shenyang in 1948 and changed its name to the Lu Xun Art Academy of the Northeast.

In 1953, the Musical Technical School of the Northeast was founded on the base of the Academy’s music department and was renamed the Shenyang Conservatory of Music. The Conservatory celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2008.

For more information about the SYCM, visit their English-language website.