Samenvatting

Conservatoire cultures of musical hierarchies: implications for music in higher education.While studies of conservatoire cultures remain relatively rare, those in existence point to the hierarchical organisation of these institutions, where students compete for performance opportunities and recognition. This paper explores this phenomenon in relation to a UK conservatoire, investigating the occurrence and nature of musical hierarchies and the impacts upon students’ learning and progression. It is proposed that conservatoire cultures may benefit from redefining notions of ‘success’ within current hierarchies to more readily reflect the multiplicity of professional fields that conservatoire students now enter, and through providing spaces for students to build, develop and challenge their professional identities.