History of the Conservatory

The Conservatory “Luca Marenzio” has its headquarters in the city center, and occupies a part of an old Augustinian monastery and another part a nineteenth century by the architect Donegani.

There are currently major renovation, by the Province of Brescia and the substantial contribution of the Municipality of Brescia and Cariplo, restructuring should lead, in time hopefully short, the optimization of spaces for the purposes for which they are intended.

The conservatory has three rooms: the salon Pietro da Cemmo, the salon Zanin (so called by the name of the manufacturer of the organ contained therein), and obtained a room in the turret of the old part of the Conservatory, all rooms are equipped with organ and piano, and one (From Cemmo) for two pianos, musical activities, essays, contests, seminars, classes of choral and orchestral Exercises Exercises, are normally held in the hall From Cemmo (which also presents problems usability) and in the sitting room Zanin, a total of three rooms prove suitable for use, although sometimes they are not sufficient in relation to the many activities that you need to do.

Some essays and concerts are also held at the San Carlino Theatre, located in another area, however the central city.

The Conservatory is located adjacent to the former church of St. Barnabas, that following a recent restructuring has been transformed into an auditorium of 400 seats. It ‘a working agreement between the Institute and the City that allows the conservatory to take advantage of that Auditorium for its artistic and educational activities.

The Conservatory Luca Marenzio was founded in 1971 by former Musical Institute “A. Venturi, “by Law n. 663 of 8/8/77, the date of institution is determined by the same law to 1/10/71.

With the same measure and with the same date is set up inside the middle school, which was still running the school year 1966/67, attached to the Institute drew musical “Venturi”.

The workforce required by that law was fifteen professorships more than thirteen places the director for administrative staff. The presence Musical Institute “A. Venturi “has been an integral part of the history Brescia for more than a century.

Dates back to 1864, the foundation, the initiative of a private company, the first school music “for free education of the people.” Transformed two years later Philharmonic Institute (then Civic) was named after the patron Antonio Venturi, music fan, a professor of natural sciences and collector of violins. The century of the “Venturi” tells much of the evolution of musical culture in Brescia, urging the memory of famous names (by Antonio Bazzini with Arturo Benedetti Michelangeli) but also shows a path of gradual growth on the academic side, and artistic.

This development is documented by the steady increase in the number of students (50 students in 1886 to 620 today, 176 of whom enrolled at a branch of Darfo Boario T., active since 1978) and the increase of the disciplines taught (in 1895 was established the first Chair of Piano, while in 1947 it was established that the composition).

Named in 1993 by Luca Marenzio, the Conservatory of Music in Brescia is located in a position clearly in the national context for the completeness of subjects activated both the musical and cultural validity of the teachers who work there.

Today his programmatic connotation can be identified under closer operational links with the forces of the city and in an ever more central to the musical activities of Brescia itself.