Department of Musical Theory was founded in 1968 on the basis of theoretical section of musicology department of Belarusian State Conservatory named after A. Lunacharskyi (further – BSC). The activities of the department was distinguished by tradition of national musicology schools, pedagogical and scientific experience of famous teachers and scientists of musical institutions of Moscow and Leningrad, students of which made the foundation of the team. It was M.Shifrin, Yu.Lettetskyi, N.Yudenich, K.Stepantsevich, M.Minenkova.
Initiator of organization of new department and its first head was musicologist K.Stepantsevich. Her main task was formation of high qualified, creative scientific-pedagogic team, designed to solve problems about modern issues of Musical Institution. With this aim there were invited new members of the department: senior researcher of Institution of History of Arts, Ethnography and Folklore V.Elatov, composers D.Smolskyi and E.Degtyarik.
In the 1970s young specialists became their work at the department. They are graduate of BSC – A.Salei, T.Scherbo, L.Kostiukovets, T.Leschenya, R.Segrienko, N.Shimanskyi.
Big attention was paid to involvement of young specialists in scientific activities, their advanced training and postgraduate studies. As scientific supervisor there were invited scientists from Moscow and Leningrad Conservatories, All-Russian research Institution of Arts and State music-pedagogy Institution named after Gnesinykh: V.Protopopov, E.Nazaikinskyi, M.Tarakanov, Yu.Kholopov, V.Zaderatskyi, M.Skrebkova-Filatova, Z.Glyadeshkina, V.Medushevskyi, A.Milka, T.Dubravskaya etc.
Process of consolidation of scientific pedagogical team of the department was finished in the end of the 1980s, when the graduate of BSC became to work there. They were T.Mdivani, A.Drukt, O.Savitskaya, M.Starcheus, Yu.Zlatkovskyi, T.Titova; there were also invited teachers from other institutions: B.Zlatoverkhovnikov, I.Golovach, E.Dulova. The activities of the department till 1992 are reflected in educational publication “From the history of musicology in Belarus: Belarusian State Academy of Music (1932-1992)” – Minsk, 2002.
In 1990s-2000s there were new specialists, graduates of BSC, among whose were candidates of History of Arts E.Kurakina, M.Porokhovnichenko, N.Arutyunova, E.Lisova, N.Matsabaridze, A.Tikhomirova, L.Zapevalova etc.
In different times the department was headed by: candidate of history of arts L.Kostyukovets (1981-1986), candidate of history of arts N.Shimanskyi (1986-1995), candidate of history of arts T.Titova (1995-2001, 2016-2021), doctor of history of arts E.Dulova (2001-2016). Since September 2021 the head of the department is M.Porokhovnichenko.
Musical Theory Department prepares specialists by the direction of specialty 1-21 04-02-01 History of Arts (musicology) at I and II degrees of education, prepares students of all performers specialties of musical-theoretic disciplines (including students of preparatory department). For the MA students and postgraduate students there are educational courses “History and Theory of Music”, “Methodology of modern musicology”, a wide range of special courses.
Professors and associate professors of the department are scientific supervisors of masters’, postgraduates’, doctors’ thesis.
The area of prioritized in research and scientific-methodological activities of department is formed according to scientific interests of teachers team, and also according to actual problematic in theoretical education of style, genre, form, organization, polyphony, facture, melody, musical psychology etc. One of the most important scientific spheres is studying the creativity of Belarusian Composers of XX-XI centuries. In publications of the last decade the sphere of scientific-methodological developments in actual issues of methodology, methods and practice of education in higher and secondary special establishment in Belarus and abroad is expanding.
For the last decades the teachers of the department published monographs: I.Golovach “Auditory of Musical Art. Based on materials of sociological tests of citizens of Belarus” (1997), R.Sergienko “Pitch basis of musical composition of XX century” (1998), E.Dulova “Ballet genre as musical phenomena (Russian tradition of the end of XVIII – the beginning of XX century” (1999), N.Shimanskyi “Typology of polyphony in liturgical music of west European tradition: phenomena of archaic vocal-ensemble intonation” (2006), E.Lisova “Instrumental concerts of G.Gorelova” (2007), O.Savitskaya “Large instrumental forms of Baroque era. Sonata di chiesa” (2008); published educational methodological manuals: B.Zlatoverkhovnikova “Harmonic Solfeggio” (1997) and “Manual on auditory analysis on Solfeggio classes” (2003), N.Yudenich “Musicological analysis: issues of theory and methodic” (2006), T.Leschenya “Vocal music of Baroque era. Workbook 1,2” (2006, 2007), M.Porokhovnichenko “Systematic Solfeggio course” (2011) and “Choir Solfeggio: intonation exercises and methodological commentaries” (2019) etc.
Teachers of the department take active part in organization of work of Students scientific creative Community, in preparation and conducting international conferences, symposiums, republican Olympiads on musical-theoretical disciplines, republican and international competitions of scientific works of students, lectures and practical classes for the students of the faculty of advanced training and retraining.
