Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris

The quintessential expression of youthful creative flair, the Conservatoire National Superieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP) well deserves its status as one of the darlings of Parisian productions, with the 1,300 students putting on around 300 shows a year. Some concerts are free and open to all – for others, reservation opens 10 days in advance. Students but also professionals, the musicians and dancers constantly exchange the classroom for the stage to be trained in contact with the public.

The Conservatoire’s exceptional architecture includes three performance spaces, which can be adapted to all sorts of shows. The Salle Lyrique, with its 358 seats, is the biggest, modelled on an Italian theatre with an orchestra pit that can accommodate up to 30 musicians. The Salle d’Orgue, shaped like a truncated cone, is perfect for chamber music, equipped with a mechanical organ with three keyboards. The last hall, l’Espace Maurice Fleuret, has a retractable platform often used for contemporary pieces. CNSMDP productions also tour around 40 locations in France, often working with international partners – ever more proof of the Conservatoire's quality.