<p>I'm not sure if it's exactly the "Oberlin of the East", but Shenandoah in Winchester, VA has a very strong conservatory program at a small, liberal arts university. The facilities are very impressive and, in Robert Shafer, they have one of the finest choral directors in the country.</p>
<p>Also, Shenandoah is doing impressive things in the string department, as well as other applied departments. I think it just may be the up and coming Conservatory we've been missing here in the East.</p>
<p>I talked to several people about Shenandoah for voice and it got very mixed reviews, but was told that they seemed to be entering a re-building stage. The emphasis seemed to shift to musical theater - to the detriment of the classical department.</p>
<p>The last post on this thread was two years old, and it looks like the school could have gone either way. Anyone out there with current Vocal Perf major info on Sunderman?</p>
<p>Or strings?</p>
<p>You might jump over to the MT Forum and take a look at the info at the top of their page. I know there are several MT majors whoâs parents post there regularly. Although they may look at the place from a different angle, itâs a start. The only thing I can contribute is that Sunderman has had a table at the Music Fair held at Eastman every year for the past 4 years nowâŠ
Here is the link from the MT Forum:
<a href=âhttp://talk.collegeconfidential.com/shenandoah-conservatory-mt/[/url]â>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/shenandoah-conservatory-mt/</a></p>
<p>Or brass??</p>
<p>Iâm a parent of a vocal performance student at Sunderman. Are you still interested?</p>
<p>Sunderman @ Gettysburg question: Whatâs the latest on this music school? My daughter is interested in Gettysburg (wants strong academics as well as strong music/arts) and likely to apply before February 1stâŠ</p>
<p>Evelyn, what is your Dâs instrument and does she intend on getting her degree in it or is she more interested in an academic major and taking lessons on the side? I assume she is a junior at the current time?</p>
<p>Can anyone enlighten me about the Sunderman Conservatory? Are there any new impressions of Sunderman that someone would like to share? My daughter is heading to their open house this weekend. Sheâs a cellist with great sound and decent technique. She is interested in a 4 year program that will bring up technique to a top level so that she can possibly go to an Oberlin or Yale for graduate school Any ideas??</p>
<p>Just about a year ago, my D (viola) did the early audition at Sunderman. She thought the people there were very nice and liked the strings faculty and the college in general, but ultimately decided that it wasnât a good fit for her musically. She was looking for peers with more technique than she saw in the students there. I donât know about the cello faculty, however. Sunderman sent a nice personalized email with audition results a couple of weeks afterwards, but Gettysburg doesnât let you know about admission until April 1. They were generous with scholarships, however.</p>
<p>The open house weekend is quite lovely. Make sure you check out the space-age soundproof glassed in practice rooms on the top floor!</p>
<p>CelloMomster,</p>
<p>Oberlin serves undergraduate students almost exclusively. It has no graduate program in cello performance, although they do offer a Masters in Music Teaching and take a very small number of students for Masterâs degrees in Conducting, Opera Theater and Historical Performance. If your daughter is specifically interested in Baroque cello or viola da gamba, it would be hard to find a better teacher than Cathy Meints. Otherwise, Oberlin will not likely be of interest for grad school.</p>
<p>I find it interesting that someone resurrects this on an annual basis, but there usually arenât any real answers. Perhaps this is telling - but perhaps not. My friend (Whose D is a Gburg freshman/biology) keeps telling me that they are pushing the conservatory. It would be nice to see some real world info! (Okay, not for us, but academically!)</p>
<p>BeexMom - what answers are you looking for? As I have said here on a number of occasions, my impression of Sunderman was that it is run by nice, competent people but that at this time the level of performance (instruments) was not very high. Iâm not able to judge the quality of their vocal program.</p>
<p>For strings at least, our perception was that (last year) Gettysburgâs offerings were not quite as strong as Susquehannaâs and well below Ithaca and Hartt. As I have said in the past, itâs a nice music department, but not really a conservatory.</p>
<p>For a student who wants to double major but may not be a mainstream conservatory level musician, I think Gettysburg could be a good match. And their merit aid (both conservatory and college) is quite generous. For someone whose sights are set on becoming a professional musician, I think there are better choices.</p>
<p>Clear enough?</p>
<p>Stradmom - I didnât need an answer as my D is happily experiencing her freshman year. I was more remarking on the curiosity of this thread being resurrected on an annual basis. We hear of a number of kids going to Eastman, Oberlin, CIM, etc. There is also a lot of buzz from strong larger university programs like James Madison, Univ of Md for example. Lots of âcheck with XX - their child is in their sophomore yearâ, and the like. Just nothing from Sunderman, and it makes me curious. But - Iâm a curious person ;)</p>
<p>BeezMom - sorry if I sounded snarkyâŠitâs been an âinterestingâ week and Iâm a little on edge!</p>
<p>The Sunderman Conservatory has been quite an intense and enriching experience. I am a current sophomore violin performance major and the program here is for beyond what I have expected. There are many gig opportunities and trips to see professional quartets in Harrisburg, D.C., Chambersburg, and Peabody Conservatory. we are all intelligent thinking musicians. the studio is medium sized with personal individualized attention. if there is anybody looking for questions about the conservatory or violin performance majoring, you are more than welcome to respond to this post.</p>
<p>Sunderman Conservatory was founded in 2005âand since then it has grown leaps and bounds. Iâm a violinist who chose the school for my teacherâAN AMAZING performer, Dr. Yeon-Su Kim (she has performed solo recital at Carnegie Hall) and am graduating this Spring. We also have renowned faculty, such as composer Avner Dorman, soprano Kathleen Sasnett, pianist Jocelyn Swigger. When I was applying to schools, I took trial lessons with professors from other schools (i.e. Duquesne) and thought Dr. Kim was a much better teacher. When looking for schools, I had a very specific search (strong conservatory and school, as well as an opportunity to double major in another subject). Gettysburg is one of the best liberal arts schools in the country; your degree means something too if you ever need to take another job.</p>
<p>Sunderman Conservatory is rising up in the world. When I began my search for schools last year, I went to all of the major conservatories; Eastman, Peabody, Boyer, Manhattan School of Music and Bard Conservatory and never have I met a kinder, helpful, caring staff like here in Sunderman. The professors are top notch, wish the best of their students and at the same time, serious in their craft. </p>
<p>As a current violin performance major, I do not regret my decision of choosing this school. The violin professor, Dr. Yeon-Su Kim is top notch. She is intense, serious, and gives critiques for the best. She wants the best for her students and cares about their interests. I do recommend having a lesson with her before you make a final decision. It will be for the best. </p>
<p>I recommend that if you are looking for a great conservatory, DO NOT shoot Sunderman Conservatory down. I almost did, and when I was rejected from other schools, I auditioned here in desperation. During my audition day, I was surprised how fantastic this program is. The atmosphere is positive and is good competition. As music majors and minors, we are one big family. There is no âairâ from the other musicians; you will feel right at home in this conservatory.</p>