Académie de musique de Québec
The turn of the 20th century was marked by an upsurge in musical activity in the province of Québec. In the absence of music schools, the majority of aspiring musicians studied with private teachers. The founding of the Académie de musique du Québec in 1868 may be considered as the first attempt to standardize the teaching of music in the province of Québec. The Académie was not a teaching institution as such, but an association of musicians whose common goal was to promote the love of music, to raise the standards of music studies and to regulate these standards through the creation of programs.
The two main activities of the Académie's educational committee are the updating of programs in music theory and repertoire, and the supervision of examinations. The programs span 10 years of study (performance and theory) and are grouped as follows: Preparatory; Intermediate 1 to 3; Secondary I to V; Advanced and Graduate. The instrumental programs recognized by the MEESR are offered for six instruments and examinations are held annually, from mid-May to mid-June.