School for Young Talent

Just as the young football player is watching the training of his football heroes, Amare offers the young pupils of the School for Young Talent the opportunity to also meet their heroes. In a safe environment on the sixth floor, where pupils follows their regular school lessons, they can always go a few floors down to view a rehearsal of the Residentie Orkest or Nederlands Dans Theater, to see how the professionals, their heroes, are doing. But those professionals are also eager to pass on their expertise to a new generation, as is already the case every day at the Royal Conservatoire.
The Royal Conservatoire has always been unique with its School for Young Talent. It offers regular primary and secondary education, in combination with training for talented young musicians, dancers and visual artists. In Amare the last link to lifelong learning is added: the professional field.

The School for Young Talent started in 1956 as a small educational facility for the very youngest dancers. We are now a mature Interfaculty of the University of the Arts and proud to be one of the residents of Amare.

Sonologie

For the first time in the history of the Institute of Sonology, the design of a building has taken into account the special qualities demanded for our electronic music studios. Amare represents the fulfilment of a long cherished wish for Sonology. The studios have excellent acoustics, and, together with the recording studios of the Art of Sound department and the Electronics Workshop (EWP) form a cluster on one side of the sixth floor. The icing on the cake is the New Music Lab. Finally, Sonology possesses a room large enough for listening to spatially composed electroacoustic music in group lessons, for experimenting with loudspeaker setups, for organising weekly feedback sessions with students from the Creative Departments (the New Music Lab Sessions) and for inviting them to our colloquia. The Institute’s historical tape collection is housed in Amare in a special air-conditioned room, and our first try-outs in the new Conservatoriumzaal have already demonstrated that its acoustics are perfect for Sonology concerts.

Royal Conservatoire Dance

On the 6th floor of Amare there are 5 new dance studios with a view of Spuiplein, Nieuwe Kerk and a large part of The Hague. A closed domain within the Royal Conservatoire, to guarantee the safety of the young dancers. An inspiring place with lots of natural lighting, where young dancers can take ballet orientation lessons from the age of eight. After which they – if admitted – can combine their primary school with an intensive dance training from group 7 onwards. Eventually, the most talented young dancers move on and combine secondary school with dance training, possibly ending up at the Bachelor of Dance program or joining the Royal Conservatoire Dance Ensemble. In addition to many partners in the professional dance field, the connection between Royal Conservatoire Dance and Nederlands Dans Theater is a special one. This was already strongly present in a project like the ‘Young Talent Project’. That there is now intensive collaboration within the same building is a long-cherished wish.

Art of Sound

The staff and students of the Art of Sound programme are thrilled with the department’s spectacular new accommodation in Amare. The building’s open, light and pleasant ambience provides a comfortable environment in which to work and study, and stimulates creativity. The state-of-the-art recording studios meet the highest standards in terms of acoustics and are fitted with the very latest equipment. Studio A, for music production, has its own recording space with three separate recording booths. Several studios are fitted with a 3D immersive audio system, while the Conservatoire’s own concert hall (Conservatoriumzaal) has a variable acoustic system which can be adapted to the requirements of the music being performed. A multipurpose and future-proof sound system has been installed for the amplification of concerts and theatrical productions and one of the recording studios is specially designed for recording recitals and sessions in the concert hall. In addition to the production, amplification and recording facilities, an extensive digital audio network has been constructed to connect the halls, the studios and the classrooms in the building, allowing for high-quality streaming from each location.

The Residentieorkest and Nederlands Dans Theater occupy the space just a few floors below in the same building. Illustrious neighbours with whom Art of Sound already collaborates intensively. The building is situated in the bustling heart of The Hague. With many other cultural institutions within walking distance of Amare, you could say the professional practice of future alumni is just around the corner.