Conservatoire National de Region de Paris is located behind Saint-Lazare railway station, in the very heart of Paris where all the streets bear names of European cities.

The musical history of the area has begun in 1911 when the National Conservatoire of Music and Dance (now CNSMDP) headed by Gabriel Faure moved into the former St. Ignace Jesuit School, in the rue Madrid. Instrument and score dealers were soon to settle in the neighborhood. After the National Conservatoire of Music and Dance has got new premises in the park La Villette, the building in the rue Madrid was bought by the Paris City Hall and given to the Conservatoire National de Region de Paris, established in 1978.

The restoration carried out by the Duboc-Landowski architectural bureau was aimed at conservation of the historical façade as well as the Faure hall and the Nervous Room where students would warm up before auditions and exams.

The conservatoire, hosting under its roof a musical school, a dance school, a higher drama school and a library, is designed to provide secondary and higher musical education. The graduates of the orchestra and performance departments get the higher education diplomas in piano, violin, cello, viola, double bass, flute, oboe, clarinet, saxophone, horn, trumpet, trombone, tuba, accordion, percussion, harp, marimba, viola da gamba, baroque cello etc.

From 1978 till 2005 the Conservatoire was headed by Jacques Taddei, organist and pianist. In September 2005 he was succeeded by Xavier Delette.