The Journal of the Central Conservatory of Music is a prestigious academic music quarterly sponsored by the Central Conservatory of Music and supervised by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. Circulating both domestically and internationally, it enjoys extensive influence in the academic community (CN 11—1183/J, ISSN 1001-9871).
Tracing its origins to the Bulletin of Central Conservatory of Music founded in 1958, the journal suspended publication in 1960 and resumed in 1980. Upholding the Central Conservatory of Music’s academic traditions of rigorous scholarship and integration of Chinese and foreign musical insights, the journal focuses on cutting-edge theoretical and practical research, encourages the spirit of bold exploration, and aims to publish high-quality academic papers to facilitate the exchange and development of musical scholarship.
Since its inception, the journal has featured a diverse range of columns, including Chinese and Foreign Music History, Composition Technique Theory, Ethnomusicology Research, Chinese Modern and Contemporary Music Composition, Music Performance, Music Aesthetics, Temperament Studies, Music Education, Music Psychology, Electronic Music, Music and Technology, and Book Reviews. It has published more than 3,000 academic works to date, encompassing a number of trend-setting and highly influential papers, as well as textbooks, translations, and musical works of various genres. In 2005, its "Ethnomusicology Research" column was named an Outstanding Column of Philosophy and Social Sciences in Institutions of Higher Education by the Ministry of Education. In 2023, the "Chinese Modern and Contemporary Music Composition" column was recognized as a Characteristic Column in the 8th Beijing Municipal Evaluation of Social Science Journals in Colleges and Universities.
During the 1980s and 1990s, the journal hosted or co-organized a series of academic events, such as symposia on modern music composition, the performance of Chinese musical works, research on the compositions of Chinese composers, academic norms, and a memorial conference in honor of Wu Bochao, the former president of the National Conservatory of Music. Since the new century, it has successfully organized three sessions of the National Academic Symposium on Music Performance Research (2016, 2019, 2022), convened the Symposium on Chinese Ethnomusicology Teaching and Composition Talent Cultivation (2017), and undertaken the Central Conservatory of Music’s Series of Activities Commemorating the 40th Anniversary of Reform and Opening Up—Forum on Chinese Contemporary Music and Musicology Research (2018) and the Academic Seminar on "Tradition, World, Future: The Development Path of Chinese Contemporary Music Composition" (2025). These events have exerted significant academic influence in music circles at home and abroad.
Adhering firmly to its founding mission, the journal strictly abides by academic standards and attaches great importance to editorial and publishing quality. Since 1999, it has been consistently included in major academic journal catalogs, such as the National Core Journals of China (Humanities and Social Sciences), Chinese Social Sciences Citation Index (CSSCI) Source Journals, Chinese Academic Journal (CD-ROM) Database (CJFD), and Repertoires International de Littérature Musicale (RILM). It has also garnered numerous accolades: in 2010, it was named an Outstanding Journal of Philosophy and Social Sciences in Institutions of Higher Education by the Ministry of Education; in 2012, it was selected as one of the first batch of journals funded by the National Social Science Fund of China; in 2014 and 2019, it won the title of National Outstanding Social Science Journal in Colleges and Universities for two consecutive terms; in 2018 and 2022, it was designated as an Authoritative Journal in the Comprehensive Evaluation of Chinese Humanities and Social Sciences Journals (AMI); and in 2023, it was awarded the title of National Authoritative Social Science Journal in Colleges and Universities in the 7th National Evaluation of Social Science Journals in Higher Education Institutions.
Past and Present Editorial Leadership
Editors-in-Chief: Zhao Feng (1980—1986)Yu Runyang (1987—1992, 1997—1998)Liu Lin (Oct. 1992—1996)Wang Cizhao (1999—Sep. 2019)Yu Feng (Oct. 2019—Jun. 2025)Yu Hongmei (Jul. 2025—present)
Deputy Editors-in-Chief:Wang Yuhe (1980—1986)Li Chunguang (1980—1988)Wei Yupei (1987—1988)Huang Xudong (1987—1996, 1999—Mar. 2004)Xiu Hailin (1991—1992)Dai Jiafang (1993—1996)Yu Renhao (1997—1998)Song Jin (2000—Sep. 2002)Yang Minkang (Oct. 2002—2012)Wen Yonghong (2008—Apr. 2023)Gao Fuxiao (2014—2019)Huang Zongquan (May 2023—present).
Consultants: Wang Cizhao, Yu Feng
Email: xbbjb@ccom.edu.cn
WeChat Official Account: “中央音乐学院学报”（Journal of the Central Conservatory of Music）