National University of Music

The National University of Music (Universidad Nacional de Música; UNM), known as the National Conservatory of Music (Conservatorio Nacional de Música) from 1946 to 2017 and as the National Academy of Music (Academia Nacional de Música) before that, is a public university in Lima, Peru.

History
The history of university dates back to the mid-19th century, when José Bernardo Alcedo, author of the National Anthem of Peru, presented the first project for a Conservatory in Peru to Congress. This, along with other attempts, did not succeed until May 9, 1908, when President José Pardo y Barreda approved a plan for the preparation of an academy through Supreme Resolution No. 1082. Said institution, the National Academy of Music, opened the following year under the direction of Peruvian musician Federico Gerdes, who was joined by other teachers, such as José M. Valle Riestra (teaching Solfège, Harmony, Counterpoint, Fugue and Composition), Próspero Marsicano (Rio de Janeiro Conservatory), Erich Schubert (Imperial and Royal Academy of Music of Berlin), Enrique Fava Ninci (Pesaro Conservatory), Nello Cecchi (Bologna Conservatory).

The academy acquired a property in 1927, which currently serves as its historical headquarters, and was renamed by Augusto B. Leguía to include Alcedo's surname through Supreme Resolution No. 63, on January 12, 1939. Around this period, the National Symphony Orchestra was created through law No. 8743, with the government ordering that musicians from other countries be hired to train the new orchestra.

Under the military government of Juan Velasco Alvarado, the academy was renamed the National School of Music (Escuela Nacional de Música), merging it with the National Institute of Culture, which led to a decrease in talents at the institution. In 1983, both this school and that of Fine Arts were promoted to Superior Schools (Escuelas Superiores), with a higher degree of autonomy.

In 2017, the conservatory changed its name to the National University of Music, through a unanimous vote at Congress.