Music

In the 18th century music classes were taught in the Petrashen private girls boarding school, girls and boys’ gymnasiums, teachers’ training and technical railroad colleges. Zakharov musical school set up in 1903 taught classes of piano, theory of music, harmony, counterpoint, ensemble playing. Rozemblum’s piano courses were opened in 1908.

In the first years of the Soviet period choir studios and groups conducted by Pukst, Rozenblum, Turencov were created in Gomel. In 1919-1920 they were united into state music university. The public conservatory in Gomel inaugurated in July 1919 was later reorganized into Tchaikovsky seven-year music school #1. In August 1921 state music college was created on the basis of state music school which became the center of the cultural life of the region. In 1958 the school was named after Belarusian composer Nestor Sokolovsky, who made an important contribution to the development of amateur arts in the oblast. In September 1, 1994 the school was transformed into Sokolovsky College of Arts. A branch of the Belarusian music academy was opened on its basis in 2003.