CMDL Centre des Musiques Didier Lockwood

What CMDL Centre des Musiques Didier Lockwood does

CMDL Centre des Musiques Didier Lockwood is a French private higher arts education institution founded in 2000 by jazz musicians Didier Lockwood, Benoît Sourisse, and André Charlier alongside Managing Director Chantal Charlier, dedicated to transmitting and promoting jazz and improvised music. The institution is organized as a Pôssupérieur d'enseignement artistique (higher arts education pole) and is the only institution in France authorized to award the National Higher Professional Diploma in Music (DNSPM) in jazz and improvised music in both initial training and continuing education formats. It holds Qualiopi certification for training quality and is authorized via FNEIJMA to certify candidates for the AMMA professional credential (Level 5, RNCP 37768).

The product portfolio spans four degree programs — DNSPM (Level 6), Licence Musicologie, Master Musique Production Performance (Level 7), and a two-year Professional Training program — plus short-format courses (Strings/Jazz, Improvisation Techniques, Big Band) and a week-long spring-break workshop. Tuition ranges from roughly €2,000 to €7,200 per year. Degree programs are delivered jointly with the University of Evry Paris-Saclay, and Erasmus+ agreements with 12 European partner institutions (Royal Academy of Music London, Hochschule für Musik Munich, Siena Jazz, ArtEZ, Hanze, BFH Bern, etc.) support international student mobility. Permanent faculty of 11 is augmented by 70+ guest artists per year.

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition fees, supplemented by the French taxe d'apprentissage (apprenticeship tax), AFDAS/OPCO/France Travail/ADAMI funding for professional trainees, and grants. The institution relocated in September 2023 to the renovated Bois Briard farm in Evry-Courcouronnes near Paris, becoming part of a Grand Paris Sud cultural hub that includes a 120-seat Jazz Club Didier Lockwood and a 350-seat auditorium. Total headcount is approximately 10 permanent staff; financial figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

CMDL Centre des Musiques Didier Lockwood

Legal name

Centre des Musiques Didier Lockwood

Website

https://cmdl.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CMDL Centre des Musiques Didier Lockwood is a French higher arts education institution near Paris, founded in 2000, that delivers accredited degree and professional training programs in jazz and improvised music to aspiring and professional musicians, in partnership with the University of Evry Paris-Saclay and a 12-school European Erasmus+ network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Arts Education (Jazz and Improvised Music)

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Music Lessons (Instrumental) (EDAMANAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Music Exam Prep & Certification (ABRSM, Trinity, RCM, AP Music Theory) (EDAMANAJ), Project, Quality & Operations (PMP PDUs, Six Sigma, Quality CE) (EDAAALAM)

Keywords

• Jazz music education
• Higher arts education
• Music conservatory training
• Professional music certification
• Improvised music pedagogy

Headquarters

HQ city

Evry-Courcouronnes

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Annual tuition fees for degree programs ranging from €2,000 to €7,200 depending on program and student status. Self-financed students receive discounted rates.
2. Taxe d'Apprentissage: French apprenticeship tax contributions from companies supporting the school's development and pedagogical projects
3. Professional Certification Revenue: Revenue from AMMA (Artiste Musicien des Musiques Actuelles) professional certification program registered in RNCP (National Register of Professional Certifications)

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CMDL is a private higher arts education institution that delivers degree programs, professional certifications, and short courses in jazz and improvised music. Its portfolio includes the DNSPM (Level 6), Licence in Musicology (Bachelor), Master M2P, two-year Professional Training leading to AMMA (Level 5) or DEM Jazz certification, alongside shorter formations in strings improvisation, Big Band, monthly improvisation techniques, and a one-week Instrument and Improvisation workshop. Programs are delivered in person at the Bois Briard campus in Evry-Courcouronnes near Paris and supported by an annual faculty of 70+ guest artists.

Product overview

CMDL Centre des Musiques Didier Lockwood is a higher education institution for jazz and improvised music founded in 2000, located in Evry-Courcouronnes near Paris. The institution offers a comprehensive portfolio of programs including four degree tracks (DNSPM, Licence/Bachelor, Master M2P, and Professional Training), supplemented by short training programs (Strings Jazz, Improvisation Techniques, Big Band), a week-long Instrument and Improvisation workshop, and the Jazz Club Didier Lockwood performance venue. Programs are delivered in partnership with the University of Evry Paris-Saclay and the Departmental Conservatory of Evry-Courcouronnes. The institution also partners with the Voicingers international vocal jazz festival. Training costs range from approximately €2,280 to €7,480 per year depending on program type.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• DNSPM Jazz et Musiques Improvisées National Higher Professional Diploma in Music (Level 6, Bac+3) for jazz and improvised music, available as initial or continuing education, in partnership with University of Evry Paris-Saclay. Annual tuition: €2,000 (initial) or €7,200 (continuing).
• Licence Musicologie Jazz et Musiques Improvisées (Bachelor)

Quantifiable outcome

• Students receive CMDL diploma with 70%+ score, professional AMMA certification (Level 5 RNCP), or DEM Jazz (highest French conservatory diploma)

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• University of Evry Paris-SaclaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint degree program delivery for Bachelor in Musicology and Master M2P. Students enrolled at both institutions, with CMDL providing music instruction and university providing academic coursework (English, musicology). Approximately 1 day/week at university.
• VoicingersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational vocal jazz festival founded in 2008, traveling across Europe and Asia. CMDL supports as partner, contributing expertise and promoting vocal jazz internationally.
• YamahaminorOthersMusical equipment partner providing instruments and equipment for student training and performances.
• TAMAminorOthersDrum equipment partner providing instruments for student training and performances.
• Bay Custom DrumsminorOthersCustom drum equipment partner supporting music education programs.
• Royal Academy of Music LondonminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorErasmus exchange partner enabling student mobility between London and Evry-Courcouronnes.
• Hochschule für Musik MunichminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorErasmus exchange partner enabling student mobility between Munich and Evry-Courcouronnes.
• Siena JazzminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorErasmus exchange partner with Italy's National Academy of Jazz for student exchanges.
• Hanze University of Applied SciencesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorErasmus exchange partner in Netherlands enabling student mobility.
• ArtEZ University of ArtsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorErasmus exchange partner with campuses in Arnhem, Enschede, and Zwolle.
• AFDAScoreOthersFrench training fund for culture, communication, and media professionals. Offers funding up to €12,000 per program for eligible candidates with intermittent performance fees.
• Grand Paris SudcoreOthersPublic authority that renovated Bois Briard farm premises. CMDL is part of cultural hub including EDT91 theater school, plastic arts school, and 350-seat auditorium.
• CRD Evry-CourcouronnesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartmental Conservatory partnership enabling access to DEM Jazz examinations for CMDL professional training students.
• FNEIJMAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederation authorizing CMDL to train and present musicians for AMMA professional certification.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Hochschule für Musik und Theater München: German conservatory and CMDL Erasmus exchange partner. Comparable as a European public higher music education institution offering degree programs and structured jazz departments with formal accreditation.
• Sibelius Academy, University of the Arts Helsinki: Finnish conservatoire-level music institution offering degree programs including a strong jazz department. Comparable as a European higher music education institution with formal accreditation, jazz specialization, and structured pedagogy.
• The New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music: US-based jazz and contemporary music degree program within The New School. Directly comparable as a higher education institution specializing in jazz/improvised music with conservatoire-style pedagogy and professional orientation.
• Royal Academy of Music: London conservatory and active CMDL Erasmus exchange partner. Comparable as a European higher music education institution with formal degree programs, conservatoire-style pedagogy, and international student mobility frameworks overlapping with CMDL's model.
• Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMDP): France's flagship national conservatory offering degree-level music training in Paris. Directly comparable as a French higher music education institution awarding nationally recognized diplomas, though broader in genre scope than CMDL's jazz/improvised specialization.
• Siena Jazz: Italy's National Academy of Jazz and CMDL Erasmus exchange partner. Directly comparable as a specialized jazz higher education institution delivering structured programs and serving as a European jazz pedagogy hub.
• Saint Louis College of Music (Rome): Italian jazz and contemporary music college and CMDL Erasmus partner. Directly comparable as a European private music college focused on jazz/popular music with degree programs and structured professional training.

Regional players

• IMEP - Institut Musical d'Éducation Pédagogique: Paris-region private higher music education institution offering professional diplomas in music. Comparable as a French private music school serving similar student segments seeking professional credentials, although broader in musical scope than CMDL.
• American School of Modern Music (ASMM): Paris-based private music school focused on modern and jazz styles. Comparable as a French-region private music education provider serving similar learner segments (jazz and contemporary instrumentalists) in overlapping geography.

Broad incumbents

• Berklee College of Music: The leading global contemporary music college based in Boston. Comparable as a degree-granting music institution serving professional musicians, though broader (multiple genres) and at much larger scale than CMDL's jazz specialization.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CHARLIERSOURISSE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/cmdl-centre-des-musiques-didier-lockwood

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CMDL Centre des Musiques Didier Lockwood