A First Prize diploma in music (French: Premier Prix) is a high honor Diploma of Musical Studies, typically in performance or composition. It is awarded by European music conservatories and European-styled conservatories elsewhere. A First Prize diploma does not denote first in class, but rather, a very high level of artist proficiency. The typical period of study to earn a First Prize is one to two years. A First Prize diploma is sometimes wrongly described as being similar to a master's degree in music performance or composition. As of the mid-1990s, the degree in many European countries has been discontinued.

France

At the

Paris Conservatory The Conservatoire de Paris (), also known as the Paris Conservatory, is a college of music and dance founded in 1795. Officially known as the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP), it is situated in the avenue ...

, and at all government sanctioned institutions of higher learning in France, a Diploma of Musical Studies — the degree that offers the First Prize — was accredited by the

French Ministry of Culture The Ministry of Culture (french: Ministère de la Culture) is the ministry of the Government of France in charge of national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and protection of the arts (visual, ...

, but not as a higher education academic degree. A First Prize from any European government accredited or sanctioned conservatory is a major distinction.

First prize broadly discontinued; new diploma is instituted

Beginning around the late 1960s, First Prize degrees in all music disciplines, in a sense, became a victim of their own success. Holders of First Prizes, more and more, were gaining positions in comprehensive institutions of higher learning. In the mid-1990s, the

, and all French government accredited conservatories, discontinued offering First Prizes with Diplomas of Musical Studies and replaced them with D.F.S. degrees — Diplomas of Superior Performance. The D.F.S. degree was instituted across Europe in part to incorporate comprehensive higher education in the fine arts with comprehensive universities and in part to unify standards in higher education of the

Bologna Declaration The Bologna declaration (in full, Joint Declaration of the European Ministers of Education convened in Bologna on 19 June 1999) is the main guiding document of the Bologna process. It was adopted by ministers of education of 29 European countries ...

that was adopted by 29 European countries in 1999.

Quebec

First Prize degrees in

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

are awarded upon attaining a high level of proficiency before a jury at the end of the fourth cycle of study at a conservatory — or two years. While two years of schooling equals the time required to earn a master's degree in Quebec, the scope of education does not offer the equivalence of a master's degree. Thus, a student who wishes to pursue doctoral studies might need compensatory education. Music conservatories in

fall under the purview of Quebec's Ministry of Culture and Communications. The Conservatory of Music and Drama in Quebec (fr) was founded in 1942 by

Wilfrid Pelletier Joseph Louis Wilfrid Pelletier (sometimes spelled Wilfred), (20 June 1896 – 9 April 1982) was a Canadian conductor, pianist, composer, and arts administrator. He was instrumental in establishing the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, serving ...

. Since then, Quebec has added a network of conservatories

Gatineau Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in western Quebec, Canada. It is located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, immediately across from Ottawa, Ontario. Gatineau is the largest city in the Outaouais administrative region and is part of Canada's N ...

Rimouski Rimouski ( ) is a city in Quebec, Canada. Rimouski is located in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, at the mouth of the Rimouski River. It has a population of 48,935 (as of 2021). Rimouski is the site of Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), t ...

, Saguenay,

Trois-Rivières Trois-Rivières (, – 'Three Rivers') is a city in the Mauricie administrative region of Quebec, Canada, at the confluence of the Saint-Maurice River, Saint-Maurice and Saint Lawrence River, Saint Lawrence rivers, on the north shore of the Sain ...

, and

Val-d'Or Val-d'Or (, , ; "Golden Valley" or "Valley of Gold") is a city in Quebec, Canada with a population of 32,752 inhabitants according to the Canada 2021 Census. The city is located in the Abitibi-Témiscamingue region near La Vérendrye Wildlife R ...

References

Notes Inline citations {{DEFAULTSORT:First Prize degree Vocational education Music education Professional titles and certifications