Research
A Living Tradition of Musical Scholarship
The Moscow State Tchaikovsky Conservatory is not only a leading institution of musical education and performance, but also one of Russia's major centers of research in music and the arts.
For more than a century and a half, the Conservatory has developed a distinguished tradition of musical scholarship, combining historical research and theoretical inquiry with the practical knowledge of performers, composers, conductors, and educators.
Today, research is an integral part of the Conservatory's academic life. Its professors, teachers, researchers, postgraduate students, and students work across a wide range of fields, from music history and theory to performance studies, musical psychology, pedagogy, ethnomusicology, contemporary music, electro-acoustic music, ecclesiastical music, and interdisciplinary research.
Research Across Disciplines
The Conservatory's research community brings together specialists working in both established and emerging areas of musical scholarship.
Research activities include:
Music history and historical musicology, including the study of Russian and international musical heritage;
Music theory and analysis, exploring musical language, form, rhythm, harmony, style, and musical meaning;
Performance studies, connecting scholarly research with the traditions and practices of musical performance;
Contemporary music, including new compositional techniques and approaches to the interpretation of recent works;
World music cultures and ethnomusicology, documenting and studying musical traditions in Russia and around the world;
Ecclesiastical music, its history, theory, performance practice, and cultural context;
Electro-acoustic music and sound studies, bringing together musical creativity, technology, and research;
Music psychology and pedagogy, addressing the development, education, professional formation, and creative activity of musicians;
Interdisciplinary research, bringing music into dialogue with philosophy, aesthetics, literature, theatre, psychology, cultural studies, and other fields.
This breadth reflects the Conservatory's understanding of music as both an art and a field of knowledge. Research frequently crosses disciplinary boundaries, allowing historical, theoretical, artistic, and practical approaches to inform one another.
Research and Creative Practice
One of the distinctive features of research at the Conservatory is its close relationship with artistic practice.
For musicians, research is not separate from musical life. Questions of interpretation, performance, composition, musical language, instrument building, pedagogy, and artistic creativity can all become subjects of scholarly investigation.
The Conservatory therefore supports both traditional academic research and research-creative activity, in which scholarship and artistic practice interact. This approach is particularly important in performance studies, contemporary music, composition, music pedagogy, and interdisciplinary projects.
Conferences and Academic Events
The Conservatory regularly hosts and participates in national and international conferences, congresses, seminars, round tables, lectures, and other scholarly events.
These gatherings bring together researchers, performers, composers, teachers, and students from the Conservatory and from institutions in Russia and abroad. Recent programs have addressed subjects ranging from Russian music and global musicology to the music of Sergei Rachmaninoff, Alexander Mosolov, Pierre Boulez and Luciano Berio, musical traditions of Eurasia, terminology and nomenclature, and the relationship between music and other art forms.
The Conservatory also serves as a venue for major scholarly forums. Among the forthcoming events are the Congress of the Russian Society for Music Theory, a conference marking the 120th anniversary of Dmitri Shostakovich's birth, the conference Nikolai Myaskovsky — An Artist of Our Time, and other national and international research events.
Publications
Research carried out at the Conservatory results in monographs, scholarly collections, articles, educational materials, critical editions, and other publications.
The Conservatory's publishing activities form an important part of its academic mission. Recent publications include studies of counterpoint and medieval music, Russian musical folklore, the history of the Moscow Conservatory, contemporary music and new performance techniques, as well as educational programs and materials for musicians.
The Conservatory also maintains periodicals and other publishing projects that contribute to the exchange of ideas within the Russian and international musicological community.
Research Degrees and Academic Development
The Conservatory provides an environment for advanced scholarly training and supports the development of the next generation of researchers.
Doctoral and candidate-level dissertations in musicology and related fields are regularly defended at the Conservatory. The subjects of current research range across the history and theory of music, performance, composition, musical culture, and interdisciplinary studies.
Students and postgraduate researchers are also encouraged to participate in conferences, seminars, publications, and other scholarly projects, becoming active members of the Conservatory's academic community from the early stages of their careers.
Research Centers and Scholarly Collections
The Conservatory's research infrastructure includes specialized scholarly and creative centers, departments, libraries, archives, and other academic units.
Among them are centers devoted to historical musicology, interdisciplinary research, world music cultures, contemporary music, ecclesiastical music, electro-acoustic music, folk music, music education, and the study of musical art. The Conservatory's Sergey Taneyev Scholarly Music Library, archives, and Nikolai Rubinstein Museum also play an important role in preserving, studying, and making accessible the institution's musical and historical heritage.
The Conservatory's archives and museum collections provide an important source for research into the history of Russian musical culture and the lives and work of generations of composers, performers, teachers, and scholars. Exhibitions of historical documents, manuscripts, photographs, and other materials are regularly presented at the Conservatory.
Students as Young Researchers
Research at the Conservatory begins with its students.
The Students' Scholarly and Art Society provides opportunities for young musicians and scholars to present their work, exchange ideas, and participate in the academic life of the institution. Student research is encouraged as part of the broader educational process, helping future performers, composers, teachers, and musicologists develop the ability to investigate, articulate, and share their ideas.
A Forum for Musical Knowledge
The Moscow Conservatory brings together education, artistic practice, historical memory, and scholarship within a single institution.
Its research activity continues a tradition established by generations of Russian music scholars while responding to the questions and challenges of contemporary musical culture. Through research, publications, conferences, academic training, archives, and creative projects, the Conservatory contributes to the preservation, understanding, and development of musical knowledge.
Research at the Moscow Conservatory is a dialogue between the past and the present — between musical tradition and new ideas, between scholarship and artistic practice, and between generations of musicians.
Explore Research at the Conservatory
Research Structure
Explore the Conservatory's research departments, centers, and specialized academic units.
Conferences & Academic Events
Discover upcoming and past conferences, seminars, lectures, and scholarly forums.
Dissertations
Learn about doctoral and candidate-level research and academic defenses.
Publications
Browse books, scholarly works, educational materials, and other publications produced at the Conservatory.
Library & Archives
Explore the resources that preserve the musical and historical heritage of the Conservatory.
For further information, please contact us at:
E-mail: nauka@mosconsv.ru
tel:8 (495) 629-41-43