New premises in Porrentruy
The Ecole Jurassienne et Conservatoire de Musique (EJCM) has invested half a million euros in the renovation and adaptation of the former Sous-Bellevue nursery school in Porrentruy. The new premises were inaugurated on Friday March 15 in the presence of Minister Martial Courtet, as well as the President of Parliament and Mayor of Porrentruy, Gabriel Voirol. Apprentice musicians from Ajoulot have been using these five rooms and the five new studios since the end of November 2018.
EJCM has acquired the former Sous-Bellevue kindergarten in order to establish its headquarters in the Ajoulot region. This purchase was made possible thanks to the support of the République et Canton du Jura and the Loterie Romande, as well as the city of Porrentruy, the former owner of the premises. After several months of renovation work, which began in summer 2018, the ten new studios in the Sous-Bellevue building are now fully equipped for music teaching. Gone are the days of locations scattered around the city, and the multiple journeys for the 25 teachers and 375 students.
During the speeches, Gabriel Voirol remarked that "the EJCM is an important player for the Bruntrut authorities" and noted that "the EJCM is sensitive to proximity", which is much appreciated. Martial Courtet, for his part, emphasized the important role played by the EJCM for the Jura population as a whole, and for young musicians in particular. Carmen Bossart Steulet, President of the EJCM Foundation Board, underlined the fact that, after Delémont in 2014 and Saignelégier in 2016, the EJCM can now also count on high-quality premises in Porrentruy. She noted the aesthetic and acoustic quality of the new studios, which seem to please both teachers and students, who have already been using them for several months. Guests were able to experience this for themselves, as a number of pieces were played by students from the school during the inauguration.
