The Halifax Conservatory of Music (HCM) was a Canadian

music conservatory A music school is an educational institution specialized in the study, training, and research of music. Such an institution can also be known as a school of music, music academy, music faculty, college of music, music department (of a larger ins ...

in Halifax,

Nova Scotia Nova Scotia ( ; ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. Nova Scotia is Latin for "New Scotland". Most of the population are native Eng ...

that offered courses in

higher education Higher education is tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree. Higher education, also called post-secondary education, third-level or tertiary education, is an optional final stage of formal learning that occurs after comple ...

music Music is generally defined as the art of arranging sound to create some combination of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or otherwise expressive content. Exact definitions of music vary considerably around the world, though it is an aspe ...

during the late 19th century and first half of the 20th century. In 1954 the HCM merged with the Maritime Academy of Music to form the Maritime Conservatory of Music (now

Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts The Maritime Conservatory of Performing Arts (the Conservatory) is a Canadian performing arts school in Halifax, Nova Scotia, that offers courses in higher education in music, dance, and theatre. It is the largest and the oldest (1887) of such org ...

History

Founded in 1887 by Reverend Robert Laing and the Halifax Ladies' College (HLC), the HCM drew students from across the Maritime provinces.

Organist An organist is a musician who plays any type of organ (music), organ. An organist may play organ repertoire, solo organ works, play with an musical ensemble, ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers or instrumentalist, instrumental ...

Charles Henry Porter served as the school's first director and under his leadership the school grew to a total of 240 students by 1890. Felix Heink, the brother of

Ernestine Schumann-Heink Ernestine Schumann-Heink (15 June 186117 November 1936) was a Bohemian-born Austrian-American operatic dramatic contralto of German Bohemian descent. She was noted for the flexibility and wide range of her voice. Early life She was born Ernes ...

's husband, succeeded Porter as director in 1900. He in turn was succeeded a year later by Percy Gordon. In 1898, the HCM developed a partnership with Dalhousie University through which the conservatory granted two-year licentiate diplomas and four-year

Bachelor of Music Bachelor of Music (BM or BMus) is an academic degree awarded by a college, university, or conservatory upon completion of a program of study in music. In the United States, it is a professional degree, and the majority of work consists of pre ...

degrees. It also maintained its connection with Halifax Ladies' College until 1952. In 1906 organist and conductor Harry Dean succeeded Gordon as director. Disputes with the school's board caused him to leave the school in 1934 to form the Maritime Academy of Music (MAM), taking many of the HCM's teachers and students with him. Ifan Williams was appointed director after Dean left, holding that position for the remainder of the school's history. In 1954 the HCM bought the assets of the MAM and the two schools merged to form the Maritime Conservatory of Music.

References

{{authority control Educational institutions established in 1887 Educational institutions disestablished in 1954 Music schools in Canada Schools in Halifax, Nova Scotia 1887 establishments in Nova Scotia 1954 disestablishments in Nova Scotia