Tuition for strangers in European conservatories is two hundred francs. Entrance is dependent upon the proved musical ability, before an examination committee, of the student to do serious work, since the number of students in each class is limited to ten. Native students pay only five francs.
Ovid Musin.
“The French and Belgian National and Royal Conservatories are not only supported, but were founded and are managed by their governments under their National and Royal Commissioners for the cultivation of the Art of Music, for the Art’s sake. Instruction is without cost to natives, but foreigners are taxed two hundred francs per year. This money goes to the government, not to the professors.... The only conservatory in France which is supported by the government is the “Conservatoire national” of Paris. The Royal conservatories of Holland and Belgium are unique, and entirely different in scheme from those in any other country.... The difference between the government music schools of France and Belgium lies in the fact that the remuneration of the Director, professors and other officers is sufficient in the case of Belgium to enable these ‘functionaries’ of the government to devote their time exclusively to their office. In fact, the professors are on the same plane as those of the Universities, whereas in France the remuneration is quite small, and the professors of this National Conservatory do not rely upon their salaries in order to live, as in Belgium, and for that reason the artistic results of the Paris Conservatory cannot be compared to the conservatories of Belgium.”
Mrs. Ovid Musin.
“I believe that at the Conservatory of Milan there are two classes of pupils. One is admitted to the courses in a fixed number, free of charge, the other by payment.”
Gatti-Casazza,
Director of the Metropolitan Opera House of New York.
AUSTRIA.
Vienna, December 13, 1912.