<p>Hi all: I'm a parent researching schools for my HS junior. She is top 5% class, high SAT, skilled classical pianist. She doesn't want conservatory and we are currently looking at upper tier liberal arts schools (Ivys, etc.). We would love information about music programs at those and other schools. Thanks.</p>
<p>There are many. Have you tried posting this over to the cc forum discussion home under music major? I am sure you’ll get more people to respond.</p>
<p>Depends on the level that you’re looking for. Yale and Harvard have musical talent that rivals that of many conservatories (e.g. Yale Symphony Orchestra is mostly conservatory-level musicians, including people accepted to/transferring from Juilliard, Eastman, etc.), and they’re probably your best bet if you’re at that level.</p>
<p>Yale still offers tremendous opportunities for music even if you’re not quite at that level, including a great private lessons system that sets you up with a graduate student from the Yale School of Music (probably top 5 for graduate performance) and if you’re truly talented, a faculty member. Yale also probably has the most performing ensembles/performance opportunities of any non-conservatory school (not all of them are relevant since your daughter is a pianist, but it gives you an idea of the music culture that is truly unique to Yale): FIVE prominent orchestras, chamber music class, several operas/musicals running throughout the year (students form the pit orchestras as well), hundreds of passionate musicians to form groups with, and near the end of the year, many students give recitals to perform the pieces they’ve prepared throughout the year :)</p>
<p>Take a look at Oberlin. They have a conservatory, but students who enroll in the LAC get the benefit of an intensively musical student culture. When we visited, we were told there was at least one musical performance every night of the school year, and an unusually high percentage of the kids are engaged in performing arts.</p>
<p>Williams has a small, but very well respected music department, and there are many performance opportunities even for non-majors.</p>
<p>Check into Vassar College - very strong music and musicians for an LAC and a beautiful music building with Steinways in the practice rooms and stained glass windows. You can double major easily because Vassar has few distribution requirements.</p>
<p>Maybe Skidmore (NY)</p>
<p>Lawrence University. Rice.</p>
<p>Lawrence fits the bill</p>
<p>Try Ithaca.</p>
<p>Bard College</p>
<p>I know you said no to conservatory, but I have to second Oberlin. Also, Columbia students I think have the opportunity to take classes at Juilliard. St. Olaf (MN) also has an excellent music program although it might not rank as high academically as the Ivies and Top East Coast LACs.</p>
<p>Oberlin, regardless of whether or not she wants in the conservatory.</p>
<p>This question has been asked multiple times on the Music Major Forum. I highly recommend you do a wide search and read through the many posts - many of which will address your questions.</p>
<p>However, the quick answer is for highly academic colleges known for strong music departments for classical music performance, not as a double major, nor necessarily a major at all, these are some of the first colleges mentioned (The list would be different if one is pursuing a performance degree - especially for the larger universities): </p>
<p>Ivies: Yale & Princeton</p>
<p>Liberal Arts Colleges & Small Universities:
Williams, Swarthmore, Bard, Brandeis, Skidmore, Wesleyan, Vassar, Oberlin (trickier if one is not pursuing a degree in the conservatory,) Lawrence, St. Olaf, Sarah Lawrence, Barnard, Smith, University of Puget Sound</p>
<p>Larger Universities:
Tufts, Emory, Univ. of Chicago (lessons might be privately arranged off campus)</p>
<p>For piano, which can be an solitary pursuit, one should consider that at many colleges one can take music lessons - often with very prestigious adjunct faculty, or privately arranged from faculty off campus - which is subsidized by the college. This will vary from school to school. In addition, serious music students who are not majoring in music will often arrange to study privately with completely non-affiliated professors. An occasional college will support this financially but, for the most part, the student is on their own.</p>
<p>Oberlin! It is a very liberal quirky environment so it isn’t for everybody but they are well known for music.</p>
<p>Bennington College (VT)
Wheaton College (MA)
Skidmore College (NY) Previously mentioned
Connecticut College (CT)</p>
<p>DePauw University in Indiana has a well respected school of music. (Don’t be fooled by the name; it’s really a LAC.)</p>