Musical culture professions

The link between theory and practice is based on practical teaching projects, directly linked to the Conservatoire's programming and in partnership with several institutions (Philharmonie de Paris, schools in the 19th arrondissement, Radio France, etc.). The teaching is geared towards the 'professions' of musical culture: dramaturge/responsible for publications (programme notes, notes for young audiences, interviews, etc.); responsible for educational services and mediation (presentation of concerts, preparation of educational dossiers, etc.); radio production; music critic, etc.) and in conditions of professional exposure.

A work placement is compulsory; it may be proposed by the student (in consultation with and with the agreement of the teacher) or by the teacher and/or the musicology and analysis department. It gives rise to an internship report.

If the student is already in a stable professional situation (teacher, tour guide, mediator, etc.), he or she will write a professional activity report based on the same model as the placement report.

Each year is devoted to a theme combining a particular type of audience (schoolchildren, families, the disabled, etc.) and a particular type of presentation and/or production structure (opera houses, orchestras, ensembles, festivals, etc.).

The course must be completed by validation of the Mediation DCI, validation of the research-mediation seminar (3 sessions) and the three propaedeutic courses, on both the Master's and free courses.

Entrance examination 2023-2024

Age limit: must be under 28 on¹ October 2023.
Application period: 4 January to 8 February 2023 online at https://inscription.cnsmdp.fr

ELIMINATORY TESTS

These tests are common to the entrance examinations for the preparatory cycle and the entrance examinations for the higher cycle of musicology (classes in Theoretical and Applied Analysis, Aesthetics, History of Music and Professions in Musical Culture).

Candidates who pass the eliminatory tests are eligible for all subsequent competitions.

Musical training

- Written tests (duration: 1h30)
1. Dictation with missing parts from the recorded repertoire, which may contain rhythmic, melodic and harmonic notes.
2. Monodic atonal statement and recognition of cadences and keys.

- Oral tests
Performance in an orchestral conductor including transposing instruments, with rhythmic and sung reading on audio support (prior boxing: 10 minutes).

The following are exempt from these tests

• students or former students in the advanced writing, composition, orchestration, conducting, accompaniment, keyboard improvisation, voice conducting, vocal accompaniment and choreographic accompaniment classes at the CNSMDP ;
• instrumentalist students who have passed the exemption examination or obtained the Music Training certificate at the CNSMDP;
• holders of the Diplôme d'État de Formation musicale ;
• holders of the following Certificats d'Aptitude : Formation musicale, Culture musicale, Écriture, Accompagnement, Professeur animateur et Directeur.
• Candidates eligible for the agrégation in music;
• Holders of a DEM in music training or orchestral conducting;
• Students from preparatory music classes admitted to the ENS.

Proof of these qualifications must be provided at the time of registration.

Vocal or instrumental practice

Performance of a work or excerpt from a work of the candidate's choice lasting no more than 5 minutes.

This test is waived for

• students or former students in the instrumental classes of a CNSM ;
• holders of a DE or Certificat d'Aptitude in instrument or singing;
• holders of a specialised cycle award (acquired) from a CRD or CRR, a Paris district conservatoire, a brevet d'exécution from the Ecole normale de musique de Paris, or their equivalent from a school abroad, less than five years old.

Proof of these qualifications must be provided at the time of registration.

ADMISSION TESTS
The admission tests consist of two modules: one common to all disciplines and one specific to each discipline.

Module 1: (Duration: 4 h)
Test common to all four disciplines.
Three listening commentaries, one of which must include a score. The commentaries may be accompanied by questions on specific points of analysis. Each work or excerpt from a work will be played two or three times.

Exemptions :
- candidates who have already passed the entrance examination for the Musicology and Analysis department;
- holders of the Certificat d'Histoire de la musique, étude chronologique et synthétique (formerly Histoire de la musique B) with distinction;

Module 2a: (Duration: 4 h)
Examination common to all three subjects: Aesthetics, Music History, Music Culture Professions: essay and/or text commentary.

Exemptions :
- candidates who have already passed the entrance examination for the Musicology and Analysis department;
- students or former students of the CNSMDP in Writing, Orchestration and Composition, or candidates newly admitted to these disciplines, as well as holders of the Certificate in Initiation to Writing B.

Candidates who are successful in these admission tests will be eligible for all subsequent competitions.

ADMISSION TEST

Oral test

• Presentation of a work for an informed public based on a documentary file including the score, a CD, historical information on the work, iconographic documents and a text (duration 20 minutes).
• Commented identification of five musical incipits from the Middle Ages to the present day (10 minutes).
• Motivational interview with the jury (15 minutes).

N.B.: Candidates who are re-admitted to the competitive entrance examination for the 2nd cycle who are not nationals of French-speaking countries must submit the following documents
- before 30 June preceding their first enrolment at the Conservatoire, a certificate issued by a body approved by the French government attesting to a level of French at least equal to B1 on the Council of Europe's scale of common reference levels
- and before 10 December following their first enrolment, a certificate from a body recognised by the French government attesting to a level of French at least equal to B2 on the Council of Europe's scale of common reference levels.

Continuous assessment

Continuous assessment accounts for 46% of the final grade.

It includes all the practical exercises carried out during the two years of study and an assessment of the placement report or professional activity report.

Final examination

Written examination

^1st year :

• Drafting of a programme note based on a file of documents (scores, recordings, documentation, etc.), length: 5 sheets (7500 signs approx.) (9 h boxing time).

^2nd year:

Comparative criticism of three performances of a work for which the score is given and based on a restricted repertoire (3 listenings). Examination 4 hours (mark out of 20).

Year 2021-22: Debussy's piano music

Assignments :

• 1st year: a concrete case study based on a mediation observed in situ, supported by a bibliography. This written work constitutes a dissertation as part of the^2nd cycle diploma conferring a Master's degree.

• ^2nd year: an internship report or professional activity report in the form of a problem-based research paper based on the internship (grade out of 20). This written work counts as a dissertation for the Master'^s degree. Three copies of the final paper must be submitted to the administration and on the digital platform indicated no later than two weeks before the date of the oral test.

• The final work must be submitted on the digital platform indicated no later than two weeks before the date of the oral test.

Oral test :

• Presentation, with a view to public mediation, of a work (^1st year) or a concept (^2nd year) chosen by the student in agreement with the teacher and scheduled no later than two months before the date of the exam. This 30-minute presentation must include musical examples and a video-computer projection. It takes place in front of a specially constituted audience, under the supervision of the teacher, but is not interactive (mark out of 15).
• A mediation video (3 minutes) on the same subject as the 30-minute oral mediation (marked out of 10)
• A 15-minute interview with the jury on the public mediation and the work submitted (out of 5).

The total number of exam papers is marked out of 70 in both the first and second years, and accounts for 54% of the final mark.

2 or 3 years