From the beginning the professors and tutors of the Conservatory have based the whole educational process on progressive teaching methods.

The curriculum was shaped by such prominent musicians as Nickolai Egoumnov, one of the mainstays of Russian piano teaching school; Constantin Saradjev, founder of Moscow Conservatory conducting department and later head of Yerevan Conservatory for 16 years; Arno Babajanian, well-known composer and pianist.

Aram Khachatourian and Mstislav Rostropovich greatly influenced the creative and educational processes in the Conservatory by being in permanent and close contacts over many years with the majority of our professors, postgraduates and students.

Several generations of Armenian musicians were educated in the musical centers of Russia and Europe also played a decisive role in the development of the Conservatory.

They introduced to the training process the traditions and principles of their own teachers-among them world famous Auer, Sybor, Oistrakh, Jankelevich, Zack, Flier, Egoumnov, Shostakovich, Nickish and many others.

All these traditions and methods of training are not only alive and well-maintained, but also developed and perfecteted by the present day Conservatory leadership and teachers staff, comprised of 350 professors and tutors for 1100 students and postgraduates.

The training of students goes on in the following specialities: piano, organ, stringed instruments (violin, viola, cello, double-bass, harp), woodwinds and brass (flute, oboe, horn, bassoon, trumpet, clarinet, trombone, tuba, saxophone), solo singing, composition, orchestra conducting, choral conducting, musicology (music theory, music history, folkloristics), jazz instruments jazz singing, jazz composition. Besides the above mentioned specialities, traditional for classical European musical education, Yerevan State Conservatory has departments which train the students in the different folk instruments - shvi, doudouk, pipe, bambir, tar, dhol (oriental folk instruments which are popular in many Middle and Near East countries) as well as guitar and folk singing.

At the postgraduate department, besides all these traditional and non-traditional specialities, students may get one or two year training in such spheres as accompanying skills, methods of teaching, chamber and concert singing, quartet performing art, folkloristics, stringed instruments making, keyboards tuning, TV and radio music journalism.

At students' training is organized in four faculties with 24 specialised departments. (The list of departments and teachers is given at the end of this booklet).

The most important factor of successful educational process at any institution is the curriculum. The Yerevan Conservatory curriculum is marked by the efficiency of selected subjects and the quantity of hours for their study, which enable the teachers to prepare young specialists with fundamental theoretical and practical knowledge. To represent the whole curriculum in a small booklet like this is practically impossible, so only a little portion of it for main specialities is given (on pp. 22-24) with subjects and training hours for a single student during 5 years of his study in Conservatory.

Throughout its history Yerevan State Conservatory maintained a well - known reputation for preparing highly qualified musicians, which is partly explained by a large number of gifted and talented applicants.

Our small Armenia with its territory if 29,8 thousand km2 and its population of about 3 million people has at present more than 150 seven - year music schools, studios and arts schools (only in the capital there are more than 25 of them). The best from many thousands of these primary school graduates, having passed the entrance examinations, continue their four - year study in musical colleges or ten - year specialized music schools, the number of which is more than ten in Armenia. And only after 10 or 11 years of professional training, the college - or specialized school graduates, after competitive examinations, are admitted to the Conservatory.

This system of primary and secondary musical education, practised in Armenia, provides the Conservatory with applicants, who possess already good background in performing and theory. This is the factor, which allows to set the most serious goals before the students just from the very beginning and finally to train them up to the level, adequate to the most serious requirements, through a detailed teaching schedule, implemented by a highly qualified staff.

After reestablishment of Independence of Armenia (1991) Yerevan State Conservatory continued its traditional relation with Moscow, Saint - Petersburg, Tbilisi and other conservatories of the former USSR, and has established new contacts with many musical institutions of the world. Numerous agreements have been s igned on students, post-graduates, professors exchange programs, according to which mutually enriching common festivals, concerts, performances or master-classes are annually being organized.

Among the graduates of our Conservatory there are more than one hundred prize winners and laureates of different international competitions - a fact, that speaks for internationally recognized mastery and of our graduates. One of the mainstays of the violin department is professor Karp Dombayev with his students, laureates of international competitions - Jean Ter-Merkerian (First Prize - Grand Prix of Jacgues Thibaud and Marguerite Long Competition) and Ruben Aharonian (First Prize -Grand Prix of Montreal Competition).

Many of them, now as professors and teachers are passing on their rich performing experience to the new generations of our Conservatory's Armenian and foreign students. The first foreign students were admitted to Yerevan State Conservatory in 1956. Since then more then 150 foreigners from 24 countries have graduated from it. The Conservatory's high reputation attracts young musicians from Asia and Middle East countries (Lebanon, Syria, Turkey, Mongolia, Iran, Iraq, Vietnam, Jordan); Europe ( France, Greece, Bulgaria, Poland, Germany, Cyprus ); Africa (Algeria, Ethiopia, Yemen, Egypt); North and South America ( USA, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Uruguay).

We admit students of any race, colour, national or ethnic origin to all rights, privileges, programs, activities generally accorded or made available to students of our Conservatory.

In many countries of the world you may come across our graduates, who carry on wide scientific, performing and teaching activities. We would like to mention some of them - Dr. Saad Salem (Lebanon),whose thesis was devoted to Arab - Armenian musical ties. His book "Violin - its past and present" is well-known not only in Beirut, but in many other neighbouring countries; Mrs. Louisa Baranska (from Poland) investigated centuries - old Armenian - Polish cultural and musical relation. Composer Jafar Nabi from Lebanon is the author of one of the first Arab operas; Violinist Avila Zafrane Alexandro Henry is well - know performer and teacher in Venezuela.

Many graduates of our Conservatory are found in different orchestras, ensembles, opera - houses, amidst professors and teachers of musical institutions of many countries all over the world.

Yerevan State Conservatory named after great Armenian composer Komitas, is located in a marvellous park just in the center of the city in the vicinity of the Opera - House and the Big Philharmonic Hall.

There are more than a hundred classroom and three concert - halls in the Conservatory. In the right wing of the building there is the Opera - Studio with its own classrooms, a big hall, orchestra and chorus. The Studio is regularly staging opera performances for student - vocalists. They also receive instructions in movement, acting, stagecraft and makeup.

We have students' symphony orchestra, chamber music ensembles, an ensemble of violinists, several choirs. Participation in all these activities increasingly enriches the performing experience of Conservatory students.

A library with rich collection of scores, notes and special literature on history and theory of music, teaching methods; a phonoteque; a modern equipped recording studio; a lingophone laboratory; a work shop for making and repairing musical instruments; a students canteen are students services.

Students inclined to carry on scientific research work participate in the activities of the Students Scientific Society by preparing different topics and reports at annually organized sessions of the Society.

Performing students may take part in yearly organized national and city competitions, the number of which is increasing rapidly.

At the Conservatory we have one and two year preparatory courses to help applicants to study Armenian and Russian, to deepen their professional skills.