Edward Said National Conservatory of Music

The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music is a Palestinian music conservatory. It has branches in Ramallah, Jerusalem, and Bethlehem. More than 500 students can study music there.

When it was started in Ramallah in 1993 it was called The National Conservatory of Music. In September 2004 it was given its present name in honour of the Palestinian scholar and musician Edward Said. The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music and the Al Kamandjati are the two main music schools for the two million Palestinians living in the West Bank and East Jerusalem.

The students of the conservatory study in an are where there is a lot of war and conflict with Israel. Nevertheless there are a few projects where Israeli and Palestinian musicians have managed to work together.

The Palestine Youth Orchestra was started through the efforts of the Edward Said National Conservatory. It is one of the best youth orchestras in the Arab world.

Other websites

• The Edward Said National Conservatory of Music official site