I’m a high honors student (97% weighted cumulative average, 4’s and 5’s on AP exams, volunteering and internships, etc.) and operatic soprano auditioning for applying to music schools. This is my list from greatest to least desired:
Eastman/Rochester
Rider University/Westminster Choir College
Towson University
U of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Crane/ SUNY Potsdam
CUNY Queens/Aaron Copland
SUNY Fredonia
SUNY Purchase
Now–I have chosen all these schools because they are close in proximity to the Bronx, my home, and are strong in both in music and liberal arts.
I want to keep my options open, because I am obviously not going to win an audition for every school.I still have ONE fee waiver, and would like to use it on an application for another university, preferably a “reach” school like Eastman. I have ultimately removed Temple, Johns Hopkins, CMU, Oberlin, NYU Steinhardt, and Northwestern from the list due to factors like cost, distance, etc. (My singing teacher has dissuaded me from many of them, really.) Do you have any recommendations that aren’t too far, have nurturing teachers, and aren’t lacking in diversity?
I don’t know how to answer that, but my kid is a freshman there doing instrumental music and is thriving and having a great experience. It is a very good program. You might want to investigate it more, but what people are drawn to is so personal…Who knows? My son preferred it to Eastman, but he was really drawn to Ithaca because of the main professor for his instrument.
My son auditioned at both Eastman and Ithaca. They are really 2 different kinds of programs. Ithaca very heavy on the music ed side and Eastman very heavy on the performance side. My son chose Eastman and is junior performance/music ed double major. He absolutely loves his music ed program and plans to pursue teaching. He is a very solid performer also. His studio teacher thought he was going to pursue an orchestral direction until 2 weeks ago when he told him he was going to teach. His teacher was surprised when he heard this.
I know some absolutly fantastic music teachers from Ithaca. There are also some fantastic performers who attended Ithaca. So I guess to answer your question. I believe Ithaca to be a solid program.
Have you thought about Hartt? On the Peter pan bus it’s only two hours…my d also an operatic soprano LOVES her teacher and the school and finds both to very nurturing…it’s not as cheap as the suny system but her scholarship doubled after freshmen year so it’s getting cheaper and she has lots of opportunities. Don’t know if it’s a reach for you, but wouldn’t hurt to take a look at it.
By the way the university of hartford and the hartt school are very diverse. There is a large population of Jamaican, Hispanic and African/african American students on campus AND in the music school. My d is one of those.
I would take a better look at Temple, Their music program is ranked among the top 15 schools.With your high honors academics, you may qualify for a big scholarship depending on your SAT or ACT scores. I know many first and second chair NJ All State instrumental players who are currently at Temple, having taken advantage of those big scholarships. Many of the Professors are in the Philadelphia Orchestra and on staff at Curtis. Philadelphia has a vibrant and renowned music scene. And its much closer than Towson…
According to Study.com Temple is ranked #2 for vocal
2. Temple University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
School Highlight: Temple University hosts seven official student choirs, and each choir is defined by a unique history and performance style.
Temple University is located in downtown Philadelphia and houses the Temple Performing Arts Center. Temple was ranked 13th among graduate fine arts programs in 2015 by U.S. News & World Report and 115th among national universities overall. Temple is accredited by the NASAM.
The Boyer College of Music and Dance offers the B.M. in Voice Performance and the B.M. in Jazz Voice Performance. The former program focuses on choral music and opera, while the latter centers on jazz studies. Both degree programs prepare students for careers in performance and vocal education. Classes include ensemble, piano, music theory and conducting.
Earning an M.M. in Voice prepares students for professional performance or further doctoral study. Specializations are available in musical style and performance, vocal literature, language and diction skills, acting technique and music theory. The D.M.A. in Voice program is ideal for those who want to further specialize and attain the highest level of skill in vocal performance. Classes include chamber music, music history and pedagogy. Students must perform with an orchestra or perform a major role in an opera to graduate. An M.M. and D.M.A. in Opera are also available.
An idea in a different direction: Harvard. Harvard has a double degree (BA/MM) program with New England Conservatory but you can attend Harvard only and study privately to save the $6K the double degree program costs if you prefer.
Yale has a grad School of Music: I don’t know much about their undergrad opportunities for voice. Princeton has a good music program as well.
The financial aid at these schools is without equal.
With your academics and voice, you would have a great chance at some very selective schools. Just a thought. You would send in an arts supplement to the common application, including a music resume, list of performances and repertoire, and maybe two letters from music teachers or directors, and then a recording.
I’m curious and going to follow this thread as my D had the same stats as the OP. I wanted her to apply to an Ivy or 2, but she ONLY wants a conservatory setting. She is very single minded in what she wants, but has always excelled academically ( in a well known, highly competitive NYC performing arts HS with a strong dual mission.) She had a friend last year turn down Harvard & Yale for the Curtis Institute.
To the OP, I wish you all best wishes and hope to see a great scholarship awarded to listed here next spring!
For an instrumentalist, choosing Curtis or Juilliard, say, over an Ivy makes sense. My daughter (a composer) agonized about Ivy versus conservatory for the entire month of April, 7 years ago. It is a tough decision and for us it was ultimately partly about finances, though she does not regret her decision one bit and is now in a PhD program (she also discovered a love of art history). I don’t know that much about voice but the one young woman I know, a mezzo soprano, went to the Westminster Choir School and then got a master’s in the UK in medieval studies. You can do things in different orders with the same ultimate result. My impression is that vocalists have to take it slow-is that true? Is there value in doing a BA and then grad in vocal performance in terms of saving your voice? I have no idea. We do know some vocal performers (opera) who were happy at, say Harvard, some of whom did the double degree with NEC but some didn’t. I think conservatory is a great choice: finances vary and can be a big factor
Thank you so much for the well-wishes!
My singing teacher advised me to take it slow. (About Juilliard: she and many of her friends attended and have nothing good to say about its undergrad voice program.) Still, I would love to attend a conservatory and have thought about auditioning for one. What prevents me from doing so is fear about my financial stability and prospects after college.
I can understated your concern @RequiresMiking. It’s daunting.
My D is in the pre college program at the conservatory you mention and she has 2 friends in the undergrad program( one sophomore tenor and one freshman mezzo) who are having a superb experience. I’m sorry that your teacher doesn’t like her alma mater but many do. It’s a special
place, IMHO.
@coloraturakid It’s confusing, really–that is, that there are so many adults who advise not to try for Juilliard or any “big-name” conservatory, but there are still just as many successful singers who recommend that I apply for at least one of them.
Absolutely @RequiresMiking. It’s so hard to be a young musician finding their way & knowing what is the best road forward.
If you can go to any of these schools and take a sample lesson with a teacher and try to get a feel - I highly recommend you do that.
It’s not about the school, it’s about who is going to guide you and teach you for the next 4 years at that school.
You are in NYC, right? There are so
many schools you can visit nearby!
It will help you decide.
Again, break legs!
