1918

General Pershing requests Walter Damrosch and Francis Casadesus to establish a school for American army musicians at the Chateau of Chaumont in the Loire Valley.

1919

The École Américaines du Chef de Musique opens at Chaumont for the summer.

Francis Casadesus begins planning for a permanent summer school for American musicians.

1920

In November, Casadesus, Maurice Fragnaud and others convene to officially create the Conservatoire Américain.

1921

The Conservatoire Américain opens at the Palais de Fontainebleau on June 26 .

Notable students include Aaron Copland, Stanley Avery, and Zo Elliott.

The Conservatoire ends its first year with performances in Paris on September 23.

1922

Francis Casadesus is created Honorary Director of the Conservatoire.

1923

Max d’Ollone serves as temporary Music Director, overseeing day-to-day affairs.

1924

Discussions begin to eliminate competitions for the Premier Prix.

Students include David Dushkin and Ariel Gross.

Charles-Marie Widor takes over as Music Director.

1925

The Conservatoire partially moves from the Louis XV wing to the Henri IV courtyard in the Palais.

Notable students include later long-time Conservatoire supporter and pianist Beveridge Webster, Ariel Gross, Lucille Jolly, Clara Rabinowitch, and Harold Richey.

he École des Beaux-Arts, the Conservatoire’s sister-school for architecture, moves into the Palais.

1926

Competitions for the Premier Prix end in most areas, replaced by diplomas indicating Excellence in Execution or Fitness for Teaching.

Louise Talma attends for the first time, beginning her long relationship with the school.

1927

Madeline Grey presents a premiere of several of Ravel’s songs at a recital at the Conservatoire.

1928

1929

The American stock market crashes; tuition for 3 months of study at the Conservatoire is $300

1930

Damrosch visits the Conservatoire for an early 10 th anniversary celebration of concerts and parties.

Notable students include Anita Hankwitz Kastner, Marguerite Quarles, and Virginia Quarles.

1931

1932

The Palais insists that the Conservatoire furnish dormitories for its students, setting off a long-standing feud.

1933

Isidor Philipp begins to teach a class on memorization and stage fright to help train students to the new requirements of playing without music.

1934

Maurice Ravel is named Director General of the Conservatoire, replacing Charles-Marie Widor.

1935

1936

Robert Casadesus is appointed head of the piano department, replacing the retiring Isidor Philipp, and begins to develop a more Francophile curriculum of repertoire.

1937

Ravel dies.

Notable students include David Diamond, who enrolls as a student of Nadia Boulanger.

Composer and pianist Camille Decreus takes the position of Director General.

1938

Louise Talma wins the Stovall Prize for composition for the first time.

1939

Igor Stravinsky serves as a judge on the composition competition panel, awarding the Stovall Prize to Louise Talma, her second win in two years.

The Second World War begins at the end of the Conservatoire’s session, sending students home early.

Camille Decreus dies.

1940

Damrosch declares in April that the Conservatoire must survive the war.

Gaby and Robert Casadesus operate the Conservatoire-in-exile at St. George’s School in Newport, Rhode Island.

1941

The Conservatoire opens for a second year at St. George’s.

1942

The Casadesuses move the Conservatoire to Great Barrington, Massachusetts for the summer when the beaches of Rhode Island are closed for military exercises

Notable students include pianist and musicologist Charles Rosen.

1943

In France, supporters of the Conservatoire rescue music and other school possessions, hiding them in secret rooms of the Palais.

Classes continue with the Casadesuses in New England.

1944

Classes continue with the Casadesuses in New England.

1945

Fontainebleau is liberated in August.

Robert Casadesus is appointed Director of the Conservatoire; Marcel Dupré will serve as Director General.

1946

The Casadesuses return to Fontainebleau with 17 students to re-establish the Conservatoire.

Soulima Stravinsky and Nadia Boulanger perform works by Igor Stravinsky at the Conservatoire.

1947

Nadia Boulanger formally returns to the Conservatoire as professor of composition.

1948

Robert Casadesus resigns as Director following the illness of his daughter Thérèse.

Nadia Boulanger is appointed Director of the Conservatoire.

The school acquires the Hotel d’Albe for housing female students.

1949

The Pasquier Trio joins the faculty.

Notable students include pianist Idil Biret, who attends as a student of Boulanger.

Queen Elisabeth of Belgium attends the final student concert of the year.

1950

Kermit Moore wins the Lili Boulanger prize, and future Conservatoire Director Narcis Bonet is given the composition prize.

Other notable students include musicologist Bathia Churgin, violinist Stuart Fasovsky, and pianist Arthur Frackenpohl.

1951

Notable students include “P.D.Q. Bach” countertenor John Ferrante, Bathia Churgin and William Battaile.

1952

Notable students include Idil Biret, Eulia Dick, Malcolm Frager, Roger Kamien, and David Noakes.

1953

Darius Milhaud composes student test-piece for piano competition.

Notable students include Luise Voscherchian.

1954

Concerts by Pierre Fournier, Paul Bazelaire, Jean Francaix, Doda Conrad, and Maurice Gendron are huge successes.

Competition pieces are composed for the school by Aaron Copland, Henri Dutilleux, Jean Francaix, Marcelle de Manziarly, Darius Milhaud, and Michal Spisak. For the piano competition, “Mr. Darius Milhaud has accepted to compose a work to be performed for this competition. The prize winner will not only receive a money award, but M. Milhaud’s work will be dedicated to him and played by him at a concert of the Radio-Diffusion Nationale Française as well as the Embassy concert.”

Students present the premiere of Jean Françaix’s opera Paris á Nous Deux in the Fontainebleau Municipal Theatre in honor of Yehudi Menuhin, who conducts the performances.

Student Luise Voscherchian wins the Salabert Composition Prize.

1955

1956

The curriculum includes “master classes with Nadia Boulanger, Robert Casadesus, Clifford Curzon, Yehudi Menuhin, Pierre Bernac, & Francis Poulenc commentating and supervising the interpretation of his songs, piano, two pianos, chamber music works and concerto for organ.”

1957

Boulanger turns 70 and resigns from the Paris Conservatory.

The Conservatoire buys the Barassy Hotel as lodging for male students.

1958

1959

Alumnus Malcolm Frager wins the Leventritt Competition.

1960

Alumnus Malcolm Frager wins the Queen Elizabeth of Belgium International Competition.

Notable students include Mozart scholar Robin Levin, pianist James Harrison, and “Mozart Effect” author Don Campbell.

1961

Notable students include Don Campbell, James Harrison, and Robert Levin.

1962

Notable students include musicologist Susan Forscher Weiss, Robert Levin and pianist and composer Yung Shen.

1963

Notable students include Robert Levin and Yung Shen.

1964

Notable students include pianists Andre-Michel Schub, Robert Levin and Juliana Osinchuk.

1965

Notable students include pianists Samuel Sanders, Juliana Osinchuk, and Yung Shen.

1966

Notable students include Krzysztof Meyer and Juliana Osinchuk.

1967

Notable students include pianist Jay Gottlieb and Jeremy Menuhin.

1968

1969

Boulanger’s last protégé, Emile Naoumoff, begins his summers at Fontainebleau.

Other notable students include pianist Douglas Buys, cellist Pierre Djokic, theorist Donna Doyle, pianist Jay Gottlieb, composer Stefan Kozinski, and harmony student Princess Irene of Greece.

1970

Notable students include Pierre Djokic, Jay Gottlieb, Stefan Kozinski, and Emile Naoumoff.

1971

Aaron Copland attends a concert of his works presented by Conservatoire faculty and students in honor of the school’s 50th anniversary and his own 70th birthday.

Notable students include Jay Gottlieb, Jeremy Menuhin, Emile Naoumoff, and Juliana Osinchuk.

1972

Piano professor Jean Casadesus, the son of Gaby and Robert, is killed in an automobile accident in Canada.

Notable students include soprano June Anderson, Douglas Buys, Donna Doyle, Stefan Kozinski, and Emile Naoumoff.

1973

The Conservatoire’s by-laws are officially changed to allow non-American students into the school in large numbers for the first time.

Notable students include June Anderson, Douglas Buys, and Emile Naoumoff.

1974

Notable students include Emile Naoumoff.

Alumnus Andre-Michel Schub wins the Naumberg International Piano Competition.

1975

Notable students include composer Joel Feigin, Stefan Kozinski, Emile Naoumoff, and Yuko Satoh.

1976

Notable students include musicologist Dorothy DeVal, Joel Feigin, Emile Naoumoff, Yuko Satoh.

1977

Alumnus Andre-Michel Schub wins the Avery Fisher Recital Award.

1978

Boulanger teaches at Fontainebleau for the last time.

Menuhin students Tasmin Little, Christina Thomas, and Antonio Lysy perform at a special benefit concert.

Notable students include Joe Kerr, Emile Naoumoff, and Christopher Zimmerman.

Alumna June Anderson makes her professional debut with the New York City Opera as the Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute.

1979

Boulanger dies.

Robert Levin begins teaching at the Conservatoire in order to keep it functioning, and James Harrison becomes President of the Board of Trustees in New York.

Narcis Bonet is appointed Director.

1980

The Conservatoire forms a partnership with the Mannes College of Music to administrative and financial support.

1981

Alumnus Andre-Michel Schub wins the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition.

1982

1983

Notable students include Florin Parvulescu and Wendy Sutter.

1984

1985

1986

Bonet resigns the position of Director.

1987

Jean-Pierre Marty is appointed Director, cuts ties with the Mannes College of Music, and establishes a separate entity to support the school.

1988

Leonard Bernstein holds a series of concerts and masterclasses at the Conservatoire to benefit the school.

1989

1990

1991

1992

A rift develops between the Conservatoire’s French administration and the American Alumni Association.

1993

Director Jean-Pierre Marty resigns.

Notable students include clarinetist Samuel Caviezel, violinist Sashka Korzenska, musicologist Kendra Leonard, and composer Jena Root.

1994

Pianist and conductor Philippe Entremont takes up the post of Director and the Alumni Association restores its support of the Conservatoire.

1995

1996

Notable students include composer Dalit Warshaw.

1997

1998

Notable students include the piano duo of Jerry Wong and Stephanie Shih-yu Cheng.

1999

Gaby Casadesus, the last surviving founding member of the Conservatoire faculty, dies in Paris.

Notable students include pianist Elizabeth Pridgen and composer Hillary Zipper.

2000

Notable students include musicologist Jessie Fillerup.