Mongolian Conservatoire opens its doors

The S.Gonchigsumlaa Music and Dance College and the Mongolian Conservatoire of the School of Music have taken a giant leap towards the future of the arts in Mongolia. Last week Mongolian politics was full of disputes and conflict but the arts and culture scene of Mongolia was moving forward with good news which included the opening of a new building for the Music and Dance College last Friday.

The guests and visitors of the opening ceremony were entertained with spectacular artistic performances.

After the cutting of the ribbon the students of the Music and Dance College sung the national anthem to demonstrate their craft. While the traditional and classical music soothed us with their familiar and nostalgic melodies, the dancers awed us with their grace and lively movements and the circus dancers and performers amazed us with their musical flare.

The Architect of the Conservatoire O.Sarantsatsral of Urkh Company stated, “I have always revered and appreciated arts and music. For 41 years my mother was a professional singer for the State Theatre of Opera and Ballet. This is why I am extremely delighted to be involved in the creation of a building for the Music and Dance College. Since it is an arts school it has to meet specific demands. All the auditoriums and studios are sound proofed so as not to interfere with other classes, and I have given a great deal of thought to the building’s facade. The city of Chicago in USA has a ballet school with a huge clear window facing the street where the casual passersby can see the dancers in training. This was my inspiration for the building. I wanted our students to be able to have a large window that has great view of the outside, and so used it in the planning.”

The Conservatoire was greatly demanded by senior artists of Mongolia

One of the artistic giants of Mongolia, Representative of the Golden Generation, Honoured State Worker B.Jamyadagva reminded the state policy makers some time ago by stating, “When you reach old age not many things can excite or make you happy, but today I feel a great amount of joy. The Music and Dance College is not an ordinary school. It’s like a pool that will never run dry – a pool of art. Now that the school base is built, we must hurry to establish a Conservatoire. But I don’t know when the policy makers will resolve their issues.”

The Head of the Morin Khuur Association, State Performer Ts.Batchuluun once said, “I want to pass on a message to the administrators of the state from the graduates and the student of the Music and Dance College. We have a request to make to the government: Hurry to establish a National Conservatoire.”

Comments about the Conservatoire from the performing arts community:

Honoured State worker, State Performer and one of the oldest artist of Mongolia (over 90 years old) G.Khaidav commented, “It is not just an ordinary building but an amazing palace of art, Prekrasno! Prekrasno! Now children, you must take care of it as though it is your own. This is where culture begins.”

Honorary Composer B.Sharav stated, “The time has come for Mongolia to have its very own Conservatoire. The amazement and awe the Mongolian musicians, singer, dancers and performers receive from global stages shows the quality of Mongolian professional music schools. In the past most of our performers studied in Russia. We will reach new heights on world stages if we train our performers here. I am certain that this Conservatoire will attract foreign students too. Mongolia has all the resource and personnel needed for a National Conservatoire.”

National Honorary Performer, teacher of traditional dance at the Music and Dance College and famous for his Jalam khar dance Ts.Altangeres was almost dancing with joy when he stated, “One more step towards
the bright and beautiful was taken today. It great to have a dance school that is national. The building is nice.

Although the dance floor is made of stone, they promised to change it to wood soon.”

The current Headmaster of the Music and Dance University G.Enkhbat stated that his predecessor Ch.Narankhuu had worked very hard to create the Conservatoire. The following is an interview with the 19th Headmaster of the Music and Dance University Ch.Narankhuu.

-The result of many years of work and effort has taken material form today. What would you compare this day to?

-There are many treasured memories in life such us graduating from school, receiving a diploma and when your child is born. This day is like having fathered another child. The request to enlarge our school has been made by the headmasters of the school since 1980. I have requested the government to broaden this school when I was in the position of Headmaster from 2000 to 2009. Our school is right next to the Embassy of China and during the 1st of October each year on the Chinese National Celebration, I would invite the Ambassador Gao Shumao to give a little performance and to ask him whether there was any way that the Chinese government could fund the growth of Music and Dance College. I asked him in 2005 and received a positive reply in 2007. We were delight but soon we have been told that our government had spent the 300 million USD on the expanding of Zamiin Uud School. It was regrettable. One day at an even in Ikh Tenger Am I met with the Minister of Education Culture and Science U.Enkhtuvshin, and told him about the whole incident. He was very surprised and sympathetic and assured me that he would make an enquiry about this and give me a positive answer. It’s a long story.

About the Conservatoire

In 1937 the Mongolian Council of Ministers first established the Music and Dance College by the name of Performing Arts School. This is the fifth move of the school- on its 75 year anniversary. The new building named after S.Gonchigsumlaa has an area of 6966 square metres – twice as big as the old building. The building cost 5 billion MNT and 1 billion MNT was spent on musical instruments and school facilities. It stands five stories tall, with 57 studios or classrooms, and has revision halls on every floor. The school has a Concert Hall with 230 seats and a spacious Dance studio complete with changing room and showers.
The school has Wi-Fi connections and an e-library where students can acquire all the information about performing arts. The library will be built from government funding of 200 million MNT.

With the new building the schools capacity has doubled, which means the results will increase accordingly.

The students of the Music and Dance College have won premier places in world stages in their age group.

Many foreign students from France, Russia, and Tuva have graduated from the Music and Dance College.

Most of the graduates work for the government and example of this is the 80 Morin Khuur players of the State Morin Khuur Assocciation’s, who have all graduated from the Music and Dance College.

E.Amartuvshin received a silver medal in the International Classical Music Festival of P.I.Tchaikovsky. It is only a matter of time before the Conservatoire’s reaches new heights and becomes a globally recognised performing arts school.