Composition Department of China Conservatory of Music was founded in 1964, and the first Director was Ma Ke who is a famous composer and Vice-President of China Conservatory of Music at that time. After that, Zhang Xiaohu, Shi Wanchun, Gao Weijie, Fan Zuyin, Yang Tongba, Wang Ning and Gao Jiajia had been the Director of the department. The Composition major is the national featured construction department, which has 6 teaching and researching offices for Composition, Harmony, Polyphony, Work Analysis, Orchestration and Sight Singing and Ear Training. It has three cultivating graduations of undergraduates, graduates and doctoral students. At present, there are 92 undergraduates, 43 graduates and 13 doctoral students.

Composition Department has a lot of specialists and Professors that are famous at home and abroad. Those famous composers and music theorists like Luo Zhongrong, Jin Xiang, Shi Wanchun, Li Xi’an, Gao Weijie, Fan Zuyin, Zhang Yunqing, Sun Hong, Yang Tongba and Zhang Yunxuan, etc., are still teaching. At present, there are 28 full-time teachers, 6 of them are Professors, 14 of them are Associate Professors and 8 of them are lecturers. It has 14 doctoral advisorsand 25 master advisors as well as part-time Professors like Zhang Qianyi, Gao Ping, Yang Qing, Qin Wenchen, etc. 12 of them enjoy special allowance of the State Council.

Teachers of Composition Department made great achievements in teaching and researching these years. Among them, there are many prizes and titles including 1 National Key Scientific Research Project, 2 National Fund of Social Sciences of Art Projects, 1 Outstanding Achievements of Culture and Art of Ministry of Culture, 3 Theory Comment Prize of the Chinese Golden Bell Award for Music, 3 Lifetime Achievement Award of the Chinese Golden Bell Award for Music, 1 Beijing Higher Schools Famous Teacher, 3 Beijing Higher School Teaching Materials Construction Prize, more than 20 Composition Prizes of the Chinese Golden Bell Award for Music and Ministry of Culture.

Composition Department thinks highly of creations of students thus it holds many arts activities like “Eastern Horizon Line” Student Works Concert, “New Generations” Composition Competition, “Fly Your Dream”, “Walk Into Orchestra”, and “Week of Symphony” projects, etc.. Every year, it would organize teachers and students to hold experts lectures, master classes and music festivals. Graduates of Composition Department are all over home and abroad, which make great contribution to music career.