Under the Ministry of Culture and Communication, CNSMDL is administered by a board whose chairman is appointed by the minister.

The average season consists of nearly 300 public events that are part of the educational project, and help showcase the talent and the work of students, faculty and guest artists.

The Conservatory offers an education for future professionals, selected by competitive audition.

The faculty are grouped into ten departments: The annual budget of the institution is €11,048,054 and a grant from the direction of music, dance, theater and amounts to €9,632,911.

Its historic buildings originally housed the Convent of the Sisters of St. Elizabeth (seventeenth century) and after the Revolution, became the speaker of the Veterinary School Lyon.