Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Lyon

What Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Lyon does

CNSMD Lyon (Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Lyon) is a French public administrative establishment founded on April 18, 1988 under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture, designated as France's second national conservatory of higher music and dance education alongside the Paris CNSMDP. The institution serves approximately 650+ students across 94 music formations and 3 dance formations spanning three cycles — DNSPM/DNSPD (premier cycle, 3 years), Master (deuxième cycle, 2 years), and Doctorate (troisième cycle), plus Artist Diploma and Certificat d'aptitude programs — taught by a faculty and staff of 200+ of whom more than 20% are international. Programs cover interpretation, composition, artistic research, and pedagogy in music, and classical/contemporary interpretation plus pedagogy in dance.

The institution operates from two campuses on opposite banks of the Saône in Lyon: the main music and research campus at 3 quai Chauveau (Lyon 9e) and the dance department at 6 quai Saint-Vincent (Lyon 1er) in the historic Grenier d'abondance building. Core infrastructure comprises the Médiathèque Nadia Boulanger library (50,000+ scores, 11,200+ journals and books, 11,600+ CDs/DVDs, 15 databases), three performance venues (Salle Varèse 300 seats, Salle d'Ensemble 60 seats, Amphithéâtre Darasse with Grenzing organ), five dance studios, eight professional sound studios plus mobile recording kits, the transdisciplinary BlackBox space, and an instrument park of 1,500+ pieces. The Plateforme Cadence handles all competitive entrance applications online, and the institution produces 450+ annual performances and events, including the touring Jeune Ballet (€100,000 annual budget) and the student-organized Festival What'Sup.

Revenue is anchored in direct subsidy from the French Ministry of Culture, supplemented by nominal tuition (€530/year for initial training), competition registration fees (€92), continuing education fees (€8,505 financed or €4,500 self-financed for 900 hours over 2 years), corporate mécénat (eligible for 60% corporate tax reduction), and individual donations (66% IRPP / 75% IFI tax deductions). International dimension is material: 90+ partner institutions across Europe (Erasmus+), Japan (Sapporo Concert Hall organist residency pipeline operating 25+ years), Thailand (PGVIM Bangkok, signed January 2025), South Africa (University of Cape Town, signed March 2026), and Switzerland (HEMU/HEM research award consortium). Reported graduate insertion rate is 94% for Master musician interpreters, and the institution scores 89/100 on the Ministry of Culture's gender equality professional index.

Name

Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Lyon

Legal name

Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Lyon

Website

https://cnsmd-lyon.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CNSMD Lyon is a French national conservatory of higher music and dance education under the Ministry of Culture, serving 650+ students across 94 music and 3 dance programs from undergraduate to doctoral levels. It operates two Lyon campuses with professional performance, recording, and library facilities, and engages 90+ international partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Arts Education (Music and Dance)

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Conservatories & Music Colleges (EDAHAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Music Production & Composition (Songwriting, Recording, DJing) (EDAMAAAF), Music Schools & Conservatory Prep (Pre-College) (EDAMANAE)

Keywords

• Music conservatory education
• Dance conservatory training
• Higher arts education
• Music performance programs
• Classical contemporary dance

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Funding: Government funding from the French Ministry of Culture, which is the primary revenue source for this public administrative establishment.
2. Tuition and Registration Fees: Annual tuition fees of 530€ for initial training; 92€ competition registration fee; 8,505€ for continuing education (financed) or 4,500€ (self-financed).
3. Sponsorship and Mécénat: Corporate sponsorship (mécénat) including financial donations, in-kind contributions, and skills-based sponsorship. Companies can make tax-deductible donations (60% corporate income tax reduction).
4. Individual Donations: Individual donations with tax benefits (66% income tax reduction, 75% IFI reduction). Donors can direct gifts to artistic productions or student social fund.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CNSMD Lyon is a French public higher education conservatory offering professional three-cycle training in music and dance: premier cycle (DNSPM/DNSPD diplomas), deuxième cycle (Master level, Artist Diploma, Certificat d'aptitude), and troisième cycle (Doctorat Recherche et Pratique). It delivers 94 music formations and 3 dance formations spanning interpretation, composition, artistic research, and pedagogy, supported by professional-grade infrastructure including the Médiathèque Nadia Boulanger library, BlackBox performance space, three performance halls, eight sound studios, and an instrumental park of 1,500+ instruments.

Product overview

CNSMD Lyon is a higher education conservatory offering comprehensive programs in music and dance across three cycles: premier cycle (DNSPM/DNSPD, 3 years), deuxième cycle (Master level, 2 years), and troisième cycle (Doctorat/Artist Diploma). The institution provides 94 music formations and 3 dance formations, with specializations in interpretation, composition, pedagogy, and artistic research. Supporting infrastructure includes the Médiathèque Nadia Boulanger library, BlackBox performance space, 3 performance halls (Salle Varèse, Salle d'Ensemble, Amphithéâtre Darasse), 8 sound studios, 5 dance studios, and a collection of 1,500+ instruments. Student performance opportunities include the annual Festival What'Sup and the touring Jeune Ballet.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Formation Musique - DNSPM (Diplôme National Supérieur Professionnel de Musicien)
• Formation Musique - Master
• Doctorat Recherche et Pratique
• Artist Diploma
• Formation Danse - DNSPD (Diplôme National Supérieur Professionnel de Danseur)
• Certificat d'aptitude professeur·e de danse
• Plateforme Cadence
• Médiathèque Nadia Boulanger
• Jeune Ballet
• Festival What'Sup
• BlackBox performance space

Quantifiable outcome

• 94%+ of DNSPM graduates pursue Master studies
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• University of Cape Town, South AfricaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 March 2026Creative exchange partnership for artistic creation and cultural collaboration.
• Princess Galyani Vadhana Institute of Music (PGVIM), BangkokcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 January 2025New institutional partnership for student and faculty exchange, collaboration in music education and research.
• Sapporo Concert Hall (Kitara), JapancoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 198025+ year partnership providing annual organist residencies for CNSMD Lyon graduates. Rémunéré 1-year positions with concerts, pedagogy, and research opportunities in Sapporo.
• Centre national de la danse (CND)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual participation in Camping festival with 23 international dance schools. Joint workshops and performances with professional choreographers.
• Orchestre national Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes (ONAURA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSide-by-side orchestral training with students performing alongside professional orchestra. Artist Diploma Konzertmeister partnership.
• Fondation Société GénéraleminorOthersCorporate sponsor (mécène) supporting CNSMD Lyon educational and artistic projects.
• Fondation HermèsminorOthersCorporate sponsor (mécène) supporting CNSMD Lyon educational and artistic projects.
• Nguyen-Thien Dao - Fondation Roi BaudouinminorOthersFoundation supporting CNSMD Lyon through specific cultural projects.
• Fondation de France (Marthe Delpensaire, Naide Nouira)minorOthersHosted foundations supporting CNSMD Lyon through specific cultural and artistic projects.
• CHELS (Pôle d'enseignement supérieur Musique et Danse Bordeaux Nouvelle-Aquitaine)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInter-institutional consortium enabling cross-enrollment in partner institutions including ENS, Sciences Po, École Centrale, VetAgro Sup.
• Université Lumière Lyon 2coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for joint bachelor's degree in music, allowing CNSMD Lyon music students to obtain university license alongside DNSPM.
• Erasmus+ Partner Institutions (90+)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner90+ international institutions enabling student, teacher, and staff mobility through Erasmus+ and bilateral agreements. Erasmus code: F LYON24.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Royal Conservatoire of Scotland: Scotland's national conservatoire covering music, drama, dance, film, and production. Shares CNSMD Lyon's combined music/dance mission, public-facing performance programming, and emphasis on integrated artist development.
• Royal Academy of Music (London): UK conservatoire delivering undergraduate and postgraduate music programs with a strong international faculty and performance infrastructure. Comparable in mission (training elite performers and composers) and competitive in attracting the same international applicant pool.
• Hochschule für Musik und Theater München: Major German university of music and theatre offering equivalent bachelor, master, and doctoral programs with strong orchestral, chamber, and contemporary music offerings. Comparable European peer with similar public-institution structure and curriculum.
• Guildhall School of Music & Drama: London conservatoire offering undergraduate, postgraduate, and research programs in music and drama with strong industry partnerships (e.g., the Barbican). Comparable in scale, elite-performance focus, and integration with professional artistic ecosystems.
• Haute école de musique de Lausanne (HEMU): Swiss university of music co-organizer with CNSMD Lyon of the Prix de la Recherche artistique. Offers comparable bachelor, master, and doctoral programs in classical, jazz, and music pedagogy with strong international faculty, making it a close peer in Western European elite music education.
• Pôle supérieur d'enseignement musique et danse Bordeaux Nouvelle-Aquitaine (CHELS): French regional conservatory consortium partner enabling cross-enrollment with CNSMD Lyon alongside ENS, Sciences Po, École Centrale, and VetAgro Sup. Operates a similar higher-education music and dance mission within the French public system.
• Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Paris (CNSMD Paris): France's other national conservatory of music and dance and CNSMD Lyon's direct institutional counterpart. Both deliver DNSPM/DNSPD, Master, Artist Diploma, and doctoral programs under the French Ministry of Culture, making them the most directly comparable institutions in terms of curriculum, governance, and competitive positioning.
• Haute école de musique de Genève (HEM Geneva): Swiss university of music and the third co-organizer of the Prix de la Recherche artistique alongside CNSMD Lyon and HEMU. Delivers equivalent higher-education music programs with a comparable research and performance orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Berklee College of Music: Largest US contemporary music institution with programs spanning performance, composition, production, and music business. Competes for international talent and overlapping specializations (composition, production), though its commercial/contemporary focus differs from CNSMD Lyon's classical heritage emphasis.
• Juilliard School: Premier US conservatoire with a much larger footprint and broader portfolio across dance, drama, and music. Overlaps in elite performer training and competition for top international students, but operates at significantly greater scale and with private (rather than state) funding.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@CNSMDL
• Facebookfacebook.com/CNSMDLyon
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/conservatoire-national-sup%C3%A9rieur-de-musique-et-de-danse-de-lyon
• Instagraminstagram.com/cnsmdlyon

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Conservatoire national supérieur de musique et de danse de Lyon