The Schola Cantorum de Paris ( being ) is a private music conservatory located in the Latin Quarter of Paris. It was founded in 1894 by Charles Bordes, Alexandre Guilmant and Vincent d'Indy as a counterbalance to the Paris Conservatoire's emphasis on opera.
History The Schola was founded in 1894 and opened on 15 October 1896 as a rival to the Paris Conservatoire. Alexandre Guilmant, an organist at the Conservatoire, was the director of the Schola before d'Indy took over. D'Indy set the curriculum, which fostered the study of late Baroque and early Classical works, Gregorian chant, and Renaissance polyphony. According to the Oxford Companion to Music, "A solid grounding in technique was encouraged, rather than originality, and the only graduates who could stand comparison with the best Conservatoire students were Magnard, Roussel, Déodat de Séverac, and Pierre de Bréville."Latham, Alison (ed) "Schola Cantorum", The Oxford Companion to Music, Oxford Music Online, Oxford University Press, accessed 28 October 2014 The school was originally located in Montparnasse; in 1900 it moved to its present site, a former convent in the Quartier Latin.
When it was founded, the Schola’s objectives were to return to the performance of plainchant in the Gregorian tradition, to revive the music of Palestrina, to create modern religious music, and to enrich the repertoire of organists. During its early years, the Schola Cantorum de Paris expanded its activities to various regions of France through festivals, conferences, and musical events. The early 20th century was marked by a shift away from the original goals regarding the performance and promotion of early music. Composition now became the focus of the schola’s activities.
Notable teachers Isaac AlbénizBarulich, Frances. "Albéniz, Isaac", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, accessed 28 October 2014 Léon BarzinBowen, José A. "Barzin, Leon", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, accessed 28 October 2014 Antoine Geoffroy-Dechaume Wanda LandowskaSalter, Lionel. "Landowska, Wanda", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, accessed 28 October 2014 Jean Langlais Olivier MessiaenGriffiths, Paul. . "Messiaen, Olivier", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, accessed 28 October 2014 Darius Milhaud"History", La Schola Cantorum, accessed 28 October 2014 Albert RousselLabelle, Nicole. "Roussel, Albert", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, accessed 28 October 2014
Alumni In addition to those mentioned above, students, not all full-time, have included: Joseph CanteloubeLangham Smith, Richard. "Canteloube, Joseph", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, accessed 28 October 2014 Helen Eugenia HaganWalker-Hill, Helen (2007) From Spirituals to Symphonies: African-American Women Composers and Their Music. Champaign: University of Illinois Press (African American) Anne Terrier Laffaille John Jacob NilesPen, Ronald (2010). Wonder as I Wander: The Life of John Jacob Niles. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky. accessed 28 March 2018 (Kentucky) Cole Porter (for a few months in 1920)Shaftel, Matthew. "From Inspiration to Archive: Cole Porter's 'Night and Day'", Journal of Music Theory, Vol. 43, No. 2 (Autumn, 1999), p. 318 (Indiana) Georgios Poniridis Theodor RogalskiGriffiths, Paul. Rogalski, Theodor, by Viorel Cosma, revised by Ruxandra Arzoiu, Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, accessed 20 June 2020 (Romania) Yvonne Rokseth Félix RaugelSCHOLA CANTORUM, Paris Encyclopaedia Universalis, accessed 2025-12-15 Dulce María Serret Erik Satie (as a mature student)Orledge, Robert. "Satie, Erik", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, accessed 28 October 2014 Joaquin TurinaGómez Amat, Carlos. "Turina, Joaquín", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, accessed 28 October 2014 (Spain) Edgard VarèseGriffiths, Paul. "Varèse, Edgard", Grove Music Online, Oxford University Press, accessed 28 October 2014 Congyu WangCongyu Wang Reflets (Debussy, Congyu Wang, official CD launch), Steinway & Sons accessed 19 December 2022 (Singapore)
Notes
External links Schola Cantorum website Schola Cantorum de Paris on the French-language Wikipedia