Our Commitment to Access

The Colburn School is dedicated to providing equitable access to excellence in performing arts education. Our programs are designed to identify dedicated students at all levels who face structural inequities that create barriers to quality arts education and to support them with the resources of the institution for as long as they wish to study. By providing the highest level of performing arts instruction starting in early childhood and extending though pre-professional studies with a robust scholarship program, we offer students and families an unparalleled arts education curriculum. We seek to recruit, train, and empower the next generation of artists who will use their gifts to enact meaningful change in the world. We believe these deep commitments will result in a stronger, more diverse artistic workforce and creative society.

Building on Our Foundation

To effectively do this important work, Colburn is proud to build on the foundational cornerstones that have informed our community-based work for decades:

Access to excellence: The Colburn School has a history of opening its doors to all members of the Los Angeles community who wish to pursue dance and music at the highest level. Created through the remarkable vision and transformational philanthropy of Richard D. Colburn, Colburn began as a community music school dedicated to providing equitable access to excellence in performing arts education. In 2003 Richard Colburn’s vision of a fully scholarshipped Conservatory came to life, removing all financial barriers for talented young artists. Robust scholarship support is available across the institution and over $15 million in scholarship support is awarded annually.

In a typical year:

  • 45% of students receive scholarships, including all Conservatory students
  • 326 students receive full scholarships
  • 70% of Colburn’s scholarship program is funded through endowment, which ensures stable, reliable scholarships year after year

The legacy of Herbert Zipper: Considered the founding father of the community arts movement in the United States, Herbert Zipper championed the notion that Colburn and a performing arts education should be available to everyone. His legacy lives on in our vibrant Community School, thriving community engagement programs, and through the spirit of our many community partnerships in Los Angeles.

Our partners include:

  • Inner City Youth Orchestra of Los Angeles (ICYOLA): This multi-faceted partnership includes side-by-side collaborations, scholarships, in-depth teaching artist support, and the creation of a joint strings and literacy program in elementary schools in South LA.
  • Sphinx Organization: As part of this partnership, Colburn hosted the first West Coast retreat for the Sphinx LEAD cohort and Sphinx Virtuosi residencies encompassing performance, education, and community engagement.
  • USC Brain and Creativity Institute: This association enables students from Colburn’s partner schools to receive weekly group instruction along with private lessons from Conservatory students.

A thriving performing arts pipeline: Over the past 10 years, Colburn has built a robust pipeline of programs for students from 15 under-resourced partner schools within six miles of the institution. These programs offer opportunities for full scholarships to study in all areas of the Community School from the time they enter the program. The current pipeline serves over 6,800 students from the Los Angeles community.

The pipeline programs include:

  • Musical Encounter: For more than 40 years, the Musical Encounter program has introduced music and dance to students in kindergarten through fifth grade through performances in our Title I partner schools. As a pathway to deepen engagement with these students, each February we invite over 2,000 fourth graders from our partner schools to attend a special performance in Zipper Hall called Musical Encounter Interactive.
  • Summer Encounter: The pipeline of engagement continues with Summer Encounter, an annual multidisciplinary arts immersion camp for rising fifth grade students from our local Title I partner schools.
  • Jumpstart: This program is an immersive after-school music training program in the Community School of Performing Arts designed to serve students at the intersection of need and merit from our local Title I schools and community partners. Jumpstart equips students with the knowledge and resources they need to become thriving artists by offering 100% scholarship-supported access to the highest quality music education. Multiple points of entry are strategically established throughout the program to start students at the right time with the right support.

Preparing the next generation: Through comprehensive programs which address all facets of a young artist’s development, Colburn prepares the next generation of artists for success on and off the concert stage. Students leave Colburn ready to excel in the next phase of their lives and careers.

Our student programs include:

  • Herbert Zipper Scholars: Founded in 2013, the Herbert Zipper Scholars program offers highly motivated students with financial need the opportunity to receive comprehensive music education at no cost. The Herbert Zipper Scholars program is comprised of Community School students, some of which include former Jumpstart and Summer Encounter participants, who receive full tuition each year to cover a variety of classes, including music theory, private lessons, and ensemble participation, among many other academic and performance opportunities.
  • Fortissima: An artistic and leadership development program, Fortissima includes rigorous artistic development and one-on-one mentorship, including a weeklong residential intensive at the Colburn School. All participants receive full scholarships which cover tuition as well as room and board while on campus.