The Peabody Institute was the first major intellectual and arts center in an American city and the oldest conservatory, or college for the study of classical music or other arts, in the United States.

George Peabody was born in Massachusetts but moved to Baltimore, Maryland in 1816. A philanthropist, he established the Peabody Donation Fund in 1862 (now the Peabody Trust) and the Peabody Education Fund in 1867. While Peabody gave generously to public causes in other areas of the U.S. and abroad, his greatest contribution was to Baltimore, the city in which he achieved his earliest success. His influence led to the establishment of Johns Hopkins University and hospital, The Walters Art Museum, and the Enoch Pratt Library.

The Peabody Institute offers courses at four separate campuses located in Baltimore City, Howard County, Anne Arundel County, and Baltimore County.

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