The Institute

A cultural institution in the heart of Paris

Since 1924, the Institut Rachmaninoff has carried forward in Paris a tradition of education, culture, hospitality and transmission, recognized as serving the public interest (reconnaissance d’utilité publique, 1983).

Facade of the Institut Rachmaninoff — sign of the Russian Conservatory of Paris
Archival view of the Seine embankment, early 20th century

History

An artistic home born of exile

In the aftermath of the Revolution of 1917, Paris welcomed an artistic elite deprived of its institutions. In 1924, at the initiative of Sergei Rachmaninoff, Feodor Chaliapin and Alexander Glazunov, a Russian Conservatory was founded. In 1931, the Russian Musical Society was reborn in France as the Société Musicale Russe en France, carrying forward this work of transmission, creation and solidarity.

1924

Founding of the Russian Conservatory in Paris

1983

Public-Interest Recognition

Public interest

Culture, education and humanitarian mission

Missions

Six missions, one vocation: education, cultural outreach, humanitarian work, heritage, creation, encounters.

Portrait of Sergei Rachmaninoff

Sergei Rachmaninoff

A guiding figure

Pianist, composer and conductor, Sergei Rachmaninoff embodies the soul of the institution: artistic rigor, transmission and solidarity with artists in exile. His name links a Russian tradition of excellence to a vocation that is deeply European and universal.

Facade of the Institut Rachmaninoff

A historic address

26 avenue de New York

Established since 1933 at 26 avenue de New York, facing the Eiffel Tower, the Institute occupies an address that has become emblematic of Russian cultural life in Paris. Salons, study rooms, archives and meeting spaces together form a place where history continues to be passed on.

Apolitical and open to all

True to its history, the Institute remains an apolitical cultural venue open to all, where dialogue through art preserves a bond between people, generations and cultures.

Piano recital in one of the Institute’s salons, before an attentive audience

Structure

An association recognized as serving the public interest

Governed by the French law of 1901 on non-profit associations, the institution devotes its resources to fulfilling its cultural, educational and humanitarian missions. Its public-interest status attests to the national significance of its work and its commitment to the common good.

500 members

A committed community gathered around the institution

12 board members

A volunteer, multidisciplinary Board of Directors

5 officers

A team responsible for management and continuity

Transmission is not a fixed legacy: it is a living dialogue between generations who share the same artistic rigor.

Artistic Committee of the Institute

Excellence, transmission, influence

Warm embrace between friends of the Institute, in a salon with a grand piano

Rachmaninoff Circle

A circle of friends and patrons

The Rachmaninoff Circle brings together those who choose to support the Institute over the long term. Patrons, donors, enthusiasts and professionals share the same care for the institution’s historical heritage, public-interest missions and flagship projects.

Join the Circle

Support the Institute

Support a century-old institution

Scholarships, patronage, donations, partnerships: there are many ways to support the Institut Rachmaninoff in its cultural and humanitarian mission.