History

In 1878, thanks to a legacy from Francesco Orti, the "School of string instruments" in Verona was established. A few years later, other music schools joined this one.

In 1927, under the patronage of the Municipality, the main music schools in Verona were unified into the Civic Music High School. The first director is Nino Cattozzo, followed by Pietro Bottagisio and Cesare Cattini.

In 1951 the direction of the institute was entrusted to Laszló Spezzaferri who will keep it until 1982. From the premises initially granted to the Liceo Musicale by the Philharmonic Academy, the seat was transferred to the current one in Palazzo Giuliari, next to the historic basilica of Santa Anastasia (13th century). The building, originally belonging to the convent complex of the basilica, was radically transformed in the early nineteenth century and given the current facade designed in 1810 by the architect Bartolomeo Giuliari.

In 1952 the Liceo Musicale was named after the musician Evaristo Felice Dall'Abaco (Verona, 1675 - Munich, 1742). The auditorium, named after the composer Italo Montemezzi (Vigasio [Vr], 1875 - ivi, 1952), who had just passed away, became the site of an intense artistic and cultural dissemination activity promoted by the music high school itself through the "Veronese Academy of Musical Culture" whose meritorious activity (concerts, chamber music theatre, conferences and lessons) will continue uninterrupted until the mid-seventies.

In 1964 the Municipality handed over the prestigious headquarters of Casa Boggian to the "Dall'Abaco" high school, still used by the institute for its educational and artistic activities.

In 1968 the Liceo Musicale di Verona became the State Conservatory of Music. In the following years, the enrollments and the number of instrumental schools increased. The "Dall'Abaco" is the first Italian Conservatory to have a section dedicated to philological instruments with the activation of the chairs of Lute, Viola da gamba, Recorder and Traversiere alongside the ordinary one of Harpsichord.

In 1983 the main seat of the Conservatory underwent complete internal restructuring works that would last for a decade. Maestro Spezzaferri was succeeded in the direction of the Institute first by Renzo Bonizzato and then by Angelo Paccagnini.

In 1989 Giorgio Brunello took over the leadership of the Conservatory.

In 1990 the current dimensions of the "Dall'Abaco" stabilized with 72 chairs. An intense program of supplementary educational activities is launched - with seminars, conferences, courses, workshops, master classes also held by prestigious guest teachers - and the artistic production sector is strengthened, which sees the Verona Conservatory engaged in numerous initiatives carried out on its own or in collaboration with local authorities (Municipality of Verona, Veneto Region, Verona Philharmonic Academy, Arena Foundation, University of Verona) and foreign institutions such as the “R. Strauss" in Munich and the Bordeaux Conservatory, the first international partners of the "Dall'Abaco".

In 1998 the "Nuovo Montemezzi" Auditorium was inaugurated, while the following year the Laboratory for multimedia technologies was inaugurated.

In 2001 the Orphèus Project started, a music therapy research project on the relationship between medicine and music promoted by the Verona Conservatory in collaboration with the University of Verona, the Consortium for the Development of University Studies of Verona and the Lichtenberger Institut of Darmstadt.

In 2002, with ministerial authorization 21/12/2001, the Experimental Course of specialization with a philological focus for instrumentalists and singers was activated, which broadens the training offer in the field of "ancient music" from the "historical" teachings of the Conservatory (Harpsichord, Lute , Viola da gamba, Recorder and traversiere) to new courses in Singing, Harp, Violin, Cello and Violone, Oboe, Bassoon, Clarinet.

In 2003 the Verona Conservatory entered the international circuit of the Socrates-Erasmus student mobility programme.

In 2004, with ministerial authorizations dated 08/01/2004 and 11/06/2004, the first level experimental three-year period and the second level experimental two-year period in musical disciplines were activated.

In 2005 the two-year academic specialization in Music Therapy started.

Hugh Ward-Perkins was elected director in 2008.

In 2010 Dr. Renzo Giacchieri was elected president.

In 2011 the courses for children aged 5 to 10 called "Musical preparatory" were activated which in 2019 will take on the name of "Pre.Lu.Di." (LUdic DIdactic PREPARATION).

In 2014 Federico Zandonà was elected director.

In 2016 the architect was elected president Giovanni Frigo.

In 2018 the ordinal two-year courses were activated and in 2019 the new preparatory course was launched which replaced the pre-academic course in the basic preparation for entry to the academic three-year course.

Laura Och was elected director in 2020.

In 2022 Federico Zandonà was elected director and Daniela Brunelli president.