My S will be graduating next December with a BM in cello performance from UM. He’s planning to audition for masters programs in cello performance and is interested in pursuing a career in chamber music performance. So far he has expressed interest in auditioning at NEC, CIM, Yale and Rice. Does anyone know of other programs that are particularly strong in those areas that he should consider looking at? Any suggestions would be welcome, thanks in advance!
Those sound like good choices. For chamber music, specifically CIM and NEC. A lot would depend on what teachers he wants to work with.
Yes GH, he specifically said he is going to focus on teacher 1st, strength in chamber music 2nd. Just wondering what other teachers for cello he should look at? I have heard good things about Felix Wang at Vanderbilt for cello but don’t know anything about their chamber music or grad programs. Same for IU, I think they have some strong cello teachers but is it a detriment to be in a smaller town in the midwest when you are trying to establish connections and a chamber performance career? Heard about SFCM a long time ago having a grad chamber program but don’t know much about it.
I’ve heard about sfcm for chamber too. I have no clue about the teacher.
I know some students (not specifically cellists, but violinists and violists) who had a great chamber experience at SFCM. I also know of cellists who love Northwestern. Will he look at any New York schools? Curtis of course has great chamber but no MM program; however, post-BM students do audition there anyway.
Thanks for your reply GH. I think he would look at NY schools though he has a thus far puzzling disinterest in Julliard. I would be interested in knowing more about Mannes as I really don’t know anything about it. Manhattan school of music seems to be more oriented to jazz than classical? When we were looking at schools for ug we gave him the option of taking a trip across OH and PA and to either NY or Boston and he chose Boston so he never really investigated the schools in NY at that time.
Manhattan has a fantastic Contemporary Performance program - which is classical New Music, if your son has interest in performing new music. Seems to me almost a majority of the performers in the hip ensembles in NYC attended that program.
MSM has a full-fledged classical program, as do Juilliard and Mannes. I am not sure what Spiritmanger means about the hip ensembles in NY attending MSM. The chamber music program at Juilliard is sort of hit or miss. My sense is they are trying to strengthen it.
GH- I’m surprised, I would have thought Julliard was a top pick for chamber music. I’ll suggest he look into Mannes and MSM.
SM- he loves new music and classical, ideally would want a program with both. He has done some really interesting things with some of the composing students at UM.
Thanks!
Glassharmonica - For hip ensembles - I mean the small young ensembles performing around NYC (like my son’s :)) - so many of the players seem to have come through the MSM program, although quite a few went to NYU for grad school, as well. And I see some of the MSM grads in the Bay Area New Music world, as well - in addition, of course, to the SF Conservatory alums. I don’t hear about as many of the Juilliard grads in the new music scene - maybe because they’ve all got orchestra jobs by the time they get through grad school! There are Yale grads, too, who populate the NYC scene… and a few who commute from Boston.
Does your son’s teachers have suggestions? At the grad level, your son must have some preferences. I think the aesthetics of a place matter a lot too (as Spirit Manager hints at, some programs are geared to “new music” more than others).
@cellomom2 Blair (Vandy) is strictly undergraduate.
compmom- Yes, his initial list was developed with input from his teacher. I just wanted to tap into the collective knowledge of this group and maybe pass on some suggestions for him to research to maybe broaden his list a bit.
listenmissy- thanks for the info, I didn’t know that about Blair.
Thanks to everyone for info, I appreciate it. There are so many programs, just wondering which are strong in chamber music that we might not know much about.
It’s a pretty small list, but it makes sense at the MM level to only apply to places you would really want to attend.
----yes to what @glassharmonica said. My D only had 4 schools on her MM list and only added a fifth at the invitation of a faculty member. We know of more than a few students that only applied to two schools for their MM.
Thanks, that’s good to know,
My daughter applied to two, yes. At this point she knows a lot more about schools than I ever would, and had many people in her world to consult, so I was pretty much only involved to the extend she needed to explain her choices to me 
That was the same as my daughter–four on her list and a fifth because her mother harangued her.
I agree, I really don’t intend to be overly involved in the process. We enjoy discussing things though and just was thinking if the topic came up there might be some programs I might ask if he has considered or heard about.
You will be relieved to see how much easier grad school auditions are (on the parents, I mean!)