The Conservatoire royal de Bruxelles offers a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree programme in Baroque and Classical clarinet, which forms part of the Early Music Department and is structured over three and two years respectively.
Particular attention is paid to the Classical and Romantic repertoire played on period instruments. Teaching is based on the practice of playing historical instruments and their faithful replicas, offering students direct immersion in the timbres and techniques specific to 18th- and 19th-century clarinets. The Conservatoire’s collection of instruments, made available to students, serves as a veritable artistic laboratory: it enables them to experiment with timbres, balances and interpretative styles that closely mirror historical practices, whilst fostering a personal and creative approach to the repertoire. This approach is closely linked to the applied theory courses offered by the early music section and provides students with a comprehensive education that is at once artistic, practical and theoretical, as well as general and cultural.
In addition to weekly group and individual lessons in instrumental and chamber music, students take part each year in projects organised by the early clarinet class (open classes, wind instrument fairs, masterclasses, etc.) and by the department (symposia, concerts, seminars, orchestra sessions, lectures). The programme also includes courses in sight-reading, music theory and composition. By the end of this cycle, students should have established the foundations of a solid instrumental technique and demonstrated the beginnings of their own musical identity. They will have developed a method for practising their instrument, as well as an intellectual approach enabling them to tackle various styles and seek out appropriate interpretations.
Building on this foundation, the Master’s programme enables students to develop specific instrumental and artistic skills, including solo performance, with the aim of presenting their personal artistic project to a public audience by the end of the programme. In this programme, the emphasis on chamber music is further strengthened, fostering direct links with the professional world (concerts, recordings, etc.). Students take part in ambitious projects, thanks to the Conservatoire royal de Brussels’ artistic partnerships.