About the Victoria Conservatory of Music
A charitable organization founded in 1964, the Victoria Conservatory of Music has served the west coast for generations, building a reputation of excellence in music education, performance, and wellness. A music centre for the whole community, we welcome participants of all ages and musical abilities, exploring their creative talents across musical genres and eras, supported by a range of instruments and technologies.
Each year, more than 4,500 students and music therapy participants engage in one or more of our five program areas:
- Ann & George Nation Conservatory School of Classical Music
- Chwyl Family School of Contemporary Music
- School of Music Technology and Creativity, including Early Childhood Music
- Department of Postsecondary Studies, including programs in partnership with Camosun College
- Department of Music Therapy
A community of over 130 faculty members, representing a variety of cultures and backgrounds, teach voice/vocals, keyboard/synth, strings/e-strings, percussion, brass, woodwinds, theory, writing and arranging, recording and production, early childhood music, and more.
The Conservatory operates two wheelchair-accessible locations in the South Island, with sites in Victoria and Langford. The Victoria location is home to the Alix Goolden Performance Hall and Wood Recital Hall.
Victoria
900 Johnson Street, Victoria BC, V8V 3N4
Langford
210 – 1314 Lakepoint Way, Langford BC
(In the YM/YWCA Langford Aquatic Complex)
The Victoria Conservatory of Music is located on the traditional lands of the Songhees, Esquimalt, W̱SÁNEĆ and Beecher Bay Nations, where we are privileged to learn, work, and perform.
The Victoria Conservatory of Music is a registered Canadian charity (#108172255RR0001)
Enduring Purpose
The Victoria Conservatory of Music develops creative potential and healthy communities through music education, wellness, and live performance.
Core Values
- Excellence
- Inclusivity and Accessibility
- Stewardship and Accountability
- Leadership
- Innovation
View the Victoria Conservatory of Music Strategic Plan 2024-2027
Welcome from the CEO
Whether you arrive as a learner, a listener, a client, a colleague, or a passerby from the neighbourhood, welcome. The Victoria Conservatory of Music is a place where music is lived: practiced in studios, shared on stage, experienced as care, and woven into daily life.
For students of every age and stage, the Conservatory is a place of possibility. It is where curiosity is met with rigour, and where individual voices are nurtured within a larger artistic community. From first lessons to advanced study and group programs, we believe music education should be life‑shaping for young people, and delightful for the rest of us.
For audiences, the Conservatory is a gathering place. Our venues are spaces to discover and make memories—where emerging performers share the stage with celebrated artists, where genres and cultures meet, and where we are able to listen closely. The concerts here feel communal, creative, and human.
For therapy clients, music can be a language of care. Through the pre-eminent Centre for Music Therapy & Wellness, music supports health, communication, regulation, and connection. Our talented music therapists are known to develop lifelong relationships with families, who return week after week, many for decades when it supports quality of life. Participants can also take advantage of the Conservatory’s bursaries and scholarships program that has grown over time through the support of passionate donors.
For music instructors and teaching artists, Victoria Conservatory is a professional home. We value pedagogy, collaboration, and lifelong learning. Our faculty and staff bring remarkable expertise and creativity to their work—and shape the future of music in Canada.
And for our neighbours, the Conservatory is part of the fabric of this city. Our main facility has been around since 1891, and while our not-for-profit organization was founded in 1964, the name Victoria Conservatory of Music has been in use since the 1880s when it was one of the very few female-owned businesses in Canada. With pride in this history, the Conservatory today is alive to the present, committed to reconciliation, inclusion, and public service, and working to be a good civic partner and a welcoming presence every day.
Wherever you are entering from, I invite you to explore what’s happening and make this place your own.
Warmly,
Nathan Medd
Chief Executive Officer,
Victoria Conservatory of Music