The predecessor of Vocal Arts and Opera Department of China Conservatory of Music is Traditional Vocal Music Department and Opera Department, which were set up when the institute established in Sept.1964. In 1996, the two departments combined to be Vocal Arts and Opera Department. At present, there are three teaching and researching offices for Traditional Vocal Music, Opera and Performance as well as a teaching and researching center named Tielin Jin Chinese Vocal Music Teaching and Researching Center. Xuegeng Tang, Ke Ma, Wei Zhong (Acting Director), Zheng Yan, Tielin Jin, Lingbi Guo and Qiuhu Maa had been the Director of the department. The current Director of the department is Shikui Wang.

Since the institute had been established, Vocal Arts and Opera Department cultivated a lot of talents of vocal music performance including Liyuan Peng, Yanze Wu, Dedema, Zuying Song, Wenhua Dong, Weiwen Yan, Ye Zhang, Yuqiang Dai, Hai Zu, Bin Liu, Yan Zhang, Bixia Wu, Li Wang, Ying Wang, Qingshuang Wang, Lida Wang, Jia Lei, Linna Gong, Beina Yao, Yingxi Zhang, Haoyin Xue and Kai Wang, etc. For the past ten years, Vocal Arts and Opera Department had won more than 150 prizes of numerous significant competitions nationally and abroad. For instance, the winners of the gold、silver and bronze medal of the National Youth Singers’  Competition are students from the Vocal Arts and Opera Department of the China Conservatory of Music. Vocal Arts and Opera Department is referred to be the cradle of singers and the most important center that cultivating Chinese vocal talents.

Vocal Arts and Opera Department insists the principle of Inheriting tradition and combining with western’s. It has put efforts on forming a system that according with music education regulations and vocal music performance requirements. At present, it had formed a multilevel school-running system mainly for undergraduates and focusing on Masters and Doctors.

With 1 national renowned educator, 1 national young and mid-age specialist and 3 Beijing higher education renowned teachers, the teaching team of Vocal and Opera Department is very strong. There are 8 Professors, 3 national actors, 10 Associate Professors, 1 first-class Announcer, 9 lecturers, 2 doctoral advisors, 23 master advisors and 4 part-time teachers. Over the years, the teaching team of Vocal Music and Opera Department had got many achievements, the book named Jin Tielin Formed the Education System of Chinese Traditional Vocal Music won the first prize of National Teaching Achievements Competition, the Innovation Prize of Ministry of Culture and first prize of Beijing Higher Education Teaching Achievements. The team has won the prize of Beijing Excellent Innovation Team and the title of Advanced Group of 2nd Beijing Education Pioneer.

At present, there are 466 undergraduates and graduates in Vocal Arts and Opera Department. More than 1,000 students graduated from here and they are now in many troupes as well as teaching and media companies across the country.