Where can you study music in Bogotá? Free options, cajas de compensación, academies, and private teachers

The overview: five ways to study music in Bogotá

Before we get into the details, here's an overview. Public programs are part of the city's cultural services; the other options are offered by private institutions and universities.

Free public programs: Centros Filarmónicos and Crea

If you're looking for free music lessons in Bogotá, start here. These city programs are designed mainly for children and young people, and they're well worth exploring.

Centros Filarmónicos Locales

The Centros Filarmónicos Locales are an education program run by the Orquesta Filarmónica de Bogotá. They offer introductory and ongoing music education, usually free, to children and young people (exact ages are specified in each call for enrollment) in different localities across the city, with an emphasis on ensemble playing: strings, winds, percussion, and choirs. Ages, locations, and available places depend on each year's call for enrollment.

Crea, run by Idartes

Crea is the arts education program of Instituto Distrital de las Artes (Idartes). It includes workshops and ongoing programs in several fields, including music, at locations across different localities. Registration is required and places are limited; specific music offerings vary by location and term.

How to find reliable information

• Check official city information in Bogotá's culture, recreation, and sports section, where you can find links to the organizations and their enrollment announcements.
• Confirm ages, localities, registration dates, required documents, and whether there's a waiting list: all of these change every year.
• Ask which instruments are offered at the location near your home; not every instrument is available everywhere.
• There are also other community orchestra and choir programs, such as those run by Fundación Batuta, that are worth checking out.

Cajas de compensación: courses for members and families

Bogotá's family compensation funds (cajas de compensación familiar) usually have culture and recreation programs, and at certain times offer music courses or instrument workshops. They generally charge different rates for members and nonmembers and organize courses by term.

• Benefit: an established institution with group courses of a set duration and sometimes special rates for members.
• Keep in mind: music offerings change by location and term, places may be limited, and the pace follows the group.
• What to ask: available instruments, ages, schedules, class size, course length, and whether you need your own instrument.

Since offerings change, check the website or contact the caja de compensación you belong to directly. Don't assume last year's course is still available.

Universities: extension courses, training schools, and professional degrees

Bogotá is home to several of the country's best-known university music programs. Here, it's worth distinguishing between two different options.

Extension courses and open-enrollment programs

Some universities offer nondegree courses, extension courses, or training programs for children, young people, and adults without requiring you to enroll in a degree. Offerings vary widely by institution and term: check each university's or arts faculty's website for open courses and enrollment conditions.

Undergraduate degree in music

If you want a degree, Bogotá has public and private programs with different focuses (performance, composition, conducting, teaching, production). Almost all require a music-specific test in addition to the national school-leaving exam. In our guide to music degrees in Colombia, we compare programs and qualifications. We also have admissions guides for several universities, including Universidad Nacional, Universidad Javeriana, and Universidad Distrital ASAB.

A degree program requires prior skills in reading music, ear training, and repertoire. Pre-university prep programs help you build that foundation. We explain what music pre-university prep is and how to choose a program, and you can see how ours works.

Music academies and schools

Private academies offer instrument lessons, often with classrooms, fixed schedules, end-of-term showcases or concerts, and sometimes ensembles. They range from small neighborhood schools to large institutions, so quality and approach vary considerably.

• Benefit: a place to meet other students, a set schedule, and sometimes access to classrooms, instruments, and ensembles.
• Keep in mind: you need to travel to the location, the academy sets the schedule and calendar, and group lessons offer less individual attention.
• What to ask: who your teacher will be, how teachers are evaluated, whether lessons are individual or in groups, how missed lessons are made up, and the cancellation policy.

If you're deciding between this option and an independent teacher, read music academy or private teacher, where we compare both using specific criteria. For lesson formats, see individual or group lessons.

When each option makes sense

There's no single answer, but this table can guide you based on your situation. Use it as a starting point, not a rule.

And you don't have to choose just one. It's common for a child to play in a free orchestra on weekends and take private instrument lessons during the week: ensemble playing teaches listening, while private lessons refine technique.

Lessons with a private teacher: what makes them different

In one-on-one lessons, the plan is built with you: whether you want to play songs, learn to read sheet music, or prepare for an audition, the teacher organizes each lesson around that goal. There are early music education courses for young children, piano and violin lessons for those who want to play, and music theory and solfège lessons for those who need a foundation in reading and listening skills.

• At home: the teacher comes to your home in Bogotá and nearby areas, depending on each teacher's availability. You practice in the same space where you keep your instrument. More details in what to expect from in-home lessons.
• Online: by video call, from any city or country. If you're interested, see how to set up your space for online lessons and online music lessons.
• Adults: there's no upper age limit for starting. If you're wondering whether it's too late, read learning music in later life.

If you're still unsure what kind of teacher to look for, this guide on how to choose a music teacher helps you ask the right questions.

How A medio tono helps you decide

A medio tono offers private music lessons at home in Bogotá and online by video call. Each teacher is evaluated on musical ability, teaching skills, and interpersonal qualities before their first lesson, and lessons are booked through WhatsApp.

If you're still unsure which instrument or path suits you, tell us your age, goals, and schedule. We'll help you work out whether it's best to start with private lessons, join a public program, or combine both. You can meet the teachers in our directory and explore the available lessons.

Frequently asked questions