So You Want to Go to Music School?

If you have a talent or passion for music, going to a music school is a perfect way to nurture that passion or talent. Many people think that they can be good enough by practicing on their own, when they have the time. While it’s possible, it can also be difficult when they have to juggle school work with an expanding social life. Going to a music school is different. Since school work is related to music, students will naturally be more interested, and they will be making friends with people with common interests. Another perk of attending music school is that students will be exposed to the many avenues where they can pursue a career in music so even if they don’t eventually make it as professional musicians, they can somehow be involved in music professionally. However, choosing the right music school to attend may be quite a challenge since there are thousands of music schools in the world. Here are some resources to music schools.

Music Schools

• Berklee College of Music: Located in Boston, some of its famous alumni include Quincy Jones, Bruce Hornsby, and Diana Krull.
• Boston Conservatory: Founded in 1867, the school produced famous musicians such as Barbara Cook, Victoria Livengood, and Mary Rodgers.
• Royal Academy of Music: The finest music school in Britain, some of its famous alumni includes Annie Lennox, John McLeod, and Sir Elton John.
• Curtis Institute of Music: Located in Philadelphia, it produced musicians like Jorge Bolet, Shura Cherkassky, and David Ludwig.
• Mannes College of Music: Founded by David Mannes in 1916, its notable alumni include JoAnn Falletta, Yakov Kreizberg, and Craig Walsh.
• The Paris Conservatoire: Founded in 1795, it’s one of the most renowned music schools in the world.
• New England Conservatory: Founded in 1867, the school was a breeding ground for Yitzhak Yedid, Satoko Fuiji, and VenetianPrincess.
• The Julliard School: The New York school that produced such notable musicians as Miles Davis, Tito Puenta, and Yoyo Ma.
• Felix Mendelssohn College of Music and Theatre: Founded by Felix Mendelssohn in 1843, the school’s notable alumni includes Ferruccio Busoni, Leo Funtek, and Frederick Delius.
• Manhattan School of Music: Some of the famous musicians to come out of the school are Dave Grusin, Billy Joel, and Juliette Passer.
• McNally Smith College of Music: Located in St. Paul, Minnesota, the school produced Justin Bonhiver, Ari Herstand, and Brian Nagan.
• Shanghai Conservatory of Music: This is the place to go if you want to specialize in Chinese instruments.
• Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University: Located in Brisbane, Australia, some of its notable alumni include Jeffrey Black, Tahu Matheson, and John Rodgers.
• The Royal Conservatory of Music: Headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, it produced such musicians like Glenn Gould, Dina Krall, and Angela Hewitt.
• Royal Danish Academy of Music: Founded in 1867 by Niels Wilhelm Gade, it’s the largest music school in Denmark.
• Academy of Music Hanns Eisler : Located in East Berlin, some of its notable alumni include Dagmar Frederic, Akil Mark Koci, and Vera Nemirova.
• Franz Liszt Academy of Music: Located in Budapest, Hungary, the school produced such musicians like Sergio Gallo, Thomas Rajna, and Leo Weiner.
• Visva Bharati University, Santiniketan: Possibly the most eminent music school in India.
• Royal Irish Academy of Music: Located in Dublin, Ireland, its notable alumni include Tara Blaise, Frank McNamara, and John O’Conor.
• Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia: Founded in 1585, this is one of the most distinguished and oldest music schools in the world.
• Conservatorium van Amsterdam: One of the premier music schools in the Netherlands.
• Saint Petersburg Conservatory: Founded in 1862, the school produced such musicians as Sergei Diaghilev, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, and Maria Yudina.
• Trinity College of Music: Established in 1872 in London, it notable past pupils include Margaret Price, A.R. Rahman, and Mehli Mehta.
• Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama: Founded in 1845 in Glasgow, Scotland, it’s one of the most respected music schools in the UK.

Music School Information

• The Julliard School – Admissions: Admission information for the school.
• Manhattan School of Music – Admissions: Criteria of entry to the school.
• Royal College of Music – Applications: Information on the application process.

Areas of Studies

• Elder Conservatorium of Music: Information on areas of specialization.
• Berklee College of Music: A searchable listing of available courses.
• Trinity College of Music – Programs: Information on music programs in the school.