The Department of Music Education is the largest academic body at Zhejiang Conservatory of Music. To meet the needs of the music education development in new era, the Institute of Higher Music Education was officially founded in September 2020, within the structure of the department.

The department owns one undergraduate major — Musicology (Normal) or Music Education, and two postgraduate majors — Studies of Music Education Science (Academic Degree) and Music Education (Professional Degree). Musicology (Normal) has been acknowledged as a national first-class construction major. The department has a total of 56 full-time teachers, including 9 professors and 23 associate professors. Among the faculty, 38 are graduate supervisors. By June 2022, the numbers of full-time undergraduate and graduate students are 481 and 58 respectively. The department comprises 4 teaching divisions: 1) Vocal Music, 2) Piano, 3) Music Theory and Pedagogy, 4) Art Practice. Also, it has the MTC Students Art Troupe.

The department adheres to the school motto of Striving for Excellence and abides by the department motto of Understanding Music and Beautifying the Inner World. With ‘training versatile excellent music educators’ as its goal, the department has nurtured many talents in this field for Zhejiang Province and even for the country. In 2018, students won 12 awards, including First Prize of Group Award, First Prize of Individual All-around, and other individual prizes, at National Five Basic Skills Demonstration by Undergraduate Students of Musicology (Normal). In 2019, participants of the first Teaching Skills Competition of Yangtze River Delta Normal University Students from the department won one first prize and one second prize. From 2013 to 2019, the department celebrated seven first-prize winners at Zhejiang Normal University Students' Teaching Skills Competition. Students have also obtained prizes at international and national music and dance contests, such as Zhejiang Music and Dance Festival, Zhejiang Province University Students Art Performance, and Zhejiang College Students Art Festival.

Leveraging the integrated development of ‘One Department, One Institute’, the department relies on its profound history and the national first-class major to vigorously boost discipline progress. Over the past two years, the faulty celebrated remarkable achievements in scientific research, creation, and performance. They published four monographs and over 50 papers and works; undertook 14 scientific research, creation, and educational reform projects at ministerial and provincial-level or above, including one art project under the National Social Science Fund of China; prepared to publish three symposiums: Study on Theoretical and Practical Issues in Contemporary Music Education, Reflections on Music — Selected Papers of Teachers at Department of Music Education, Zhejiang Conservatory of Music, and Leadership of Famous Music Teachers.

The department aims for the ‘first-rate in China and renowned in the world’. By developing a music education system with Chinese characteristics, it learns from fine traditions while reforming and innovating to respond to the needs of the era. The department endeavors to achieve creative transformation, improve the capability and level of discipline construction, and finally grow into a leader and model in this sector.