Music Academy students benefit from a vast array of performance opportunities in a standard school year. Students can expect to perform on a regular basis in numerous public settings, whether solo or with peers, on stage at Colburn or in the local community. Performance experience includes studio class, chamber and solo recitals, collaboration concerts with the Colburn Dance Academy, a senior recital, and special donor events.
Additionally, the Academy Virtuosi, a student-led, conductorless chamber ensemble, offers students the chance to explore the rich repertoire for chamber orchestra. The Academy Virtuosi performs at least two concerts each year, including a showcase concert for the winner of the Concerto Competition.
Prospective students and families, welcome.
I am thrilled that you are interested in making Colburn’s Music Academy a part of your musical and artistic journey. Your future as a professional musician will continue to thrive here.
The Music Academy is a place to grow, explore, and engage—all with a committed community of support around you. Our robust and comprehensive program provides conservatory-level training tailored to your interests. In-depth instrumental performance, and music theory instruction is complemented by skill-based training in the areas of stage presence, musician health, career development, and more. With a focus on excellence, you will learn from world-class faculty and work with renowned guest artists while performing often, both as a soloist and as an ensemble player.
At Colburn, we strive to train the whole artist. As you develop as a performer, community engagement opportunities, academic support, and an emphasis on collaborative learning will help you reach your full artistic potential.
Your time in the Music Academy is a stepping-stone to the world’s top conservatories. Bring your passion and dedication, and we will ensure you are prepared for the path ahead.
With best wishes, Adrian Daly, DMA Provost
The Colburn School is home to students attending the Colburn Music Academy, Colburn Conservatory of Music, the Community School of Performing Arts, and the Trudl Zipper Dance Institute. Together, they form a tight-knit community of individual artists.
Given Colburn’s location in the heart of Los Angeles’ thriving arts and music corridor, students have access to some of the best venues, art installations, and dining experiences in the country. With so much in close proximity, there’s a wealth of opportunity to explore and discover.
The Music Academy does not grant high school degrees. Academy students attend local high schools or participate in partner school programs such as Oak Crest Academy or Laurel Springs.
Colburn has limited availability for Academy students in the on-campus residence halls, which are staffed at all times. Each room—doubles, triples, or quads—is furnished with everything residents will need: extra-long twin beds, desks/chairs, nightstands with lamps, and wardrobes. There are also TVs, sofas, and kitchenettes. Res Life plans various student activities, including movie nights, trips to Little Tokyo for boba tea, an annual amusement park trip, and more. The Colburn Café provides dining services to students and the public seven days a week.
There are several off-campus housing options too, including the Museum Tower, an apartment complex right next door to the School where many students reside. There are many options on Bunker Hill and nearby Little Tokyo as well.
Founded on the core principle of community, Colburn believes that the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion are vital to our collective success as an institution and a community of performing artists. We welcome students from all over the country and around the world and strive to maintain and develop a diverse, inclusive, and supportive educational environment where everyone can thrive.
After thoughtful and careful consideration, the Colburn School has determined that it will begin the 2020–21 school year online.
Though we have all hoped to see a speedy conclusion to the COVID-19 pandemic, local and global infection and transmission rates have unfortunately changed little since we closed the campus. In order to protect our community, the educational activities of the School will remain online until we determine it is safe to fully reopen. We will continue our careful monitoring of the COVID-19 situation and will keep the community updated as we know more.
Early August: Family and student update meeting August 25: Online orientation August 26: First day of classes December 12: Last day of classes
Music Academy students will be supported in learning from home. The individual technology needs of students will be assessed to determine whether a loan of equipment is necessary to assist with high quality audio for lessons or if additional resources need to be allocated to enhance internet connectivity. Directed staff support will be available to assist students and faculty in an evolving online learning process.
Online orientation for the fall semester will occur on August 25, but additional connections with students will occur prior to that to build community, ensure familiarity with a new online learning management system that will support academic classes, and to provide webinars on home studio set up to optimize the private lesson experience. Students and families will have individualized meetings with the Provost in advance of the start of the fall semester.
All academic classes will be managed within a learning management system called Canvas, which will allow students to have a singular, consistent virtual classroom setting. Classes will be carefully scheduled to allow for participation across a variety of time zones, in both synchronous and asynchronous ways to facilitate student learning. Additionally, some limited classes will be offered this summer to maintain student engagement and to help in building community within the student body, including topical seminars, classes in English as a second language for non-native speakers, movement, and music history seminars. A refocused weekday curriculum will be open to all Music Academy students in the fall.
The Colburn School is currently exploring new technology platforms that should enhance the teaching and learning experience for applied lessons, with lower latency, higher fidelity and minimal compression in the transfer of the audio. Details will be made available when it is decided that one of these new platforms is a preferred option for faculty and students to use for an improved lesson experience.
Currently, it is not possible to have ensembles take place virtually due to latency issues. The faculty are exploring options to have students engaged in various aspects of chamber music and ensemble training. Similar consideration is being given for performance recitals. Further information will be shared before the start of the semester.
Master class opportunities and other seminar opportunities will be available to Music Academy students as appropriate, in alignment with offerings across the Colburn School.
Music Academy students will be able to participate in a number of wellness workshops that will be supportive of their physical and mental wellbeing. Additionally, students will be able to participate in a number of forums with key Colburn administrators during the course of the semester.
All applicants are required to upload pre-screening videos as part of the application process. Pre-screening and audition repertoire must follow the guidelines outlined below. Appropriate repertoire substitutions may be made upon approval from the Music Academy manager of admissions. If your instrument is not listed below, please contact the Music Academy at musicacademy@colburnschool.edu for repertoire requirements.
Etudes Weissenborn, 50 Advanced Studies: One slow and one fast etude
Concerto Weber Concerto in F, movements 1 and 2
Memorization of repertoire and accompaniment is not required.
Concerto Prepare the first movement of one of the following:
Other One virtuoso piece of the applicant’s choice
All cello repertoire must be memorized, with no exceptions. Accompaniment for the concerto is preferred.
Etudes Choose one of the following caprices: • 1, 2, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 14, 15, or 17 from Paganini, Dix-Sept Caprices adapted for the clarinet and published by Éditions Musicales Alphonse Leduc.
Concerto Choose one of the following and prepare any two movements of the concerto:
Memorization of repertoire is highly recommended but not required.
Solo Solo of the applicant’s choice
Scales 1 major scale and arpeggio and 1 minor scale and arpeggio (two octaves)
Excerpt Mozart Symphony No. 36 in D Major, movement 1, letter A (measures 42-62)
Memorization of repertoire is not required.
Etudes Etude #1 from Anderson, Op. 33
Mozart Concerto Movements 1 and 2 from either Concerto in G Major or Concerto in D Major
Additional Concerto Choose between the Ibert Concerto (movements 1 and 2 OR movement 3) or the Nielson Concerto (movement 1)
Memorization of audition repertoire (except for etudes) is highly recommended but not required.
Concerto One movement of a concerto of choice
Contrasting Movement One contrasting movement of a solo piece (unaccompanied piece, sonata, or of the same concerto)
Memorization is not required.
Marimba Solo of applicant’s choice
Snare Drum Solo of applicant’s choice
Timpani Solo of applicant’s choice
Etude Virtuosic Etude (Chopin, Liszt, Debussy, Prokofiev, Rachmaninoff, Scriabin, or Stravinsky)
Baroque A baroque composition
Sonata A classical sonata movement by Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart, or Schubert
Other Work A work from the romantic period or 20th/21st century
All piano repertoire must be memorized, with no exceptions. The live audition will include sightreading.
Bach An unaccompanied movement of the applicant’s choice
Concerto One movement of a concerto
All violin repertoire must be memorized, with no exceptions.
Concerto The first movement of a major concerto such as Bartók, Hindemith, Walton, Stamitz, or Hoffmeister
Sonata A movement of a sonata with piano or comparable work, such as the Bruch Romance
Bach A movement from an unaccompanied work
All viola repertoire must be memorized, except the sonata movement with piano.
The Colburn Music Academy is focused on expanding students’ musical knowledge and performance abilities in preparation for post-secondary study and careers as professional musicians. The Music Academy does not grant high school degrees. Our instruction and activities take place outside of standard school hours, and students must complete their state-mandated academic education requirements through an external school. Colburn has relationships with several high school options, and you can find more information about these schools below.
The Colburn School prides itself on creating a tailored learning environment for each of our students so that they can reach their fullest potential as musicians, dancers, and human beings.
The fall of 2018 will mark the first year of a pilot academic program provided by Oak Crest Academy (OCA), an accredited independent academic school for gifted and talented students. OCA will offer academic instructors and individualized learning programs on Colburn’s campus for a select number of students grades five through high school. OCA currently serves K-12 students on two campuses; Oak Park and the recently-opened Tarzana.
The Oak Crest program will allow efficiency and flexibility for families seeking more time to pursue their music studies while offering a rigorous academic education, and will include:
Tuition for each student enrolled in the OCA program is set at approximately $7,500.00 per year (final tuition amount will be finalized by April 2018). Tuition may be paid in full or in installments. There is a $125 application fee and a $252 tuition insurance fee. Tuition is inclusive of all curriculum, either online or textbook, and use of the learning center.
Visit Oak Crest’s website for more information.
Colburn Music Academy students also are eligible for a 10% tuition discount to Laurel Springs School. The online K-12 school provides students scheduling flexibility to fit in both academic classwork as well as music studies and performance commitments.
For more information, contact Joe Mobile at jmobile@laurelsprings.com.
Edward Atkatz, Percussion Margaret Batjer, Violin, Academy Virtuosi Martin Beaver, Violin Richard Beene, Bassoon Fabio Bidini, Piano Gina Coletti, Viola Yehuda Gilad, Clarinet Clive Greensmith, Cello Fabiola Kim, Violin HyeJin Kim, Piano (Asst. to Mr. Bidini) Joan Kwuon, Violin Robert Lipsett, Violin Mingjia Liu, Oboe Varty Manouelian, Chamber Music Nokuthula Ngwenyama, Chamber Music Scott St. John, Director of Chamber Music JoAnn Turovsky, Harp James Walker, Flute Micah Yui, Piano
Faculty for instruments not listed above are drawn from the Colburn Conservatory of Music.
Louise Borden, English as a Second Language Tamsin Carlson, Movement for Musicians Deborah Devine, Presentational Skills Michaela Eremiasova, Music Theory and Ear Training Vera Ivanova, Music Theory and Ear Training Jeffrey Lavner, Keyboard Skills Rodolfo Leone, Piano Duos Régulo Martínez-Antón, Keyboard Literature Leila Núñez-Fredell, Music History Ian Pritchard, Continuo and Figured Bass
Students coming to the Colburn Music Academy from outside the United States are expected meet the same academic standards as American applicants. We are authorized to issue the SEVIS I-20 form, “Certificate of Eligibility for Non-Immigrant Student Status.” However, it’s best to be fully informed, so read more about the U.S. student Visa application process by visiting studyinthestates.dhs.gov/students.
Being able to effectively communicate in English is critical to succeeding at the Colburn Music Academy. While we encourage students to enter with English proficiency, we understand not all applicants may be fluent. If you proceed through the application process to an in-person audition, you may be asked to interview with faculty and staff for further assessment of your English proficiency.
International students coming to the Colburn Music Academy may obtain the student visa (F-1 Visa) only after acceptance. We will issue you an I-20 Form (students are responsible for shipping costs) and students must bring the I-20 to the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate, where American officials will finalize the visa process. There’s usually a fee of $200 or more for F-1 visas that must be paid before its issuance. There also may be separate processing charges, all of which must be covered by the student. Visit fmjfee.com/i901fee for details.
The Colburn Music Academy is highly focused on expanding students’ musical knowledge and performance abilities in preparation for post-secondary study and careers as professional musicians. Our instruction and activities take place outside of standard school hours, and students must attend another school to meet their state-mandated academic education requirements. For a list of partner schools, visit our High School Coursework page.
Tuition is $15,000 for the 2020–21 school year. Your tuition covers the full scope of the Music Academy’s curriculum for the full year. Note, tuition and fees may be subject to change.
For a full list of fees, see the Schedule of Student Charges.
The Colburn Music Academy’s admissions process is need-blind, meaning that a student’s financial circumstances are not part of the admissions decision. We are committed to providing access to all students who qualify for admission. Our annual donors make this possible, and we recognize the excellence of Music Academy students through providing full and partial scholarship awards to Kohl Scholars, Greendale Scholars, and Thibaudet Scholars, and through additional scholarship awards in recognition of merit and financial need.
The Kohl Scholars are a select number of pianists and violinists who are invited to attend and live at the Music Academy at no cost. Becoming a Kohl Scholar is a celebrated achievement for young artists and provides the financial assistance needed to succeed in the next stage of their musical development. The Colburn School is deeply grateful to Terri and Jerry Kohl for their extraordinary support of the next generation of classical music artists.
Greendale Scholars are students of exceptional talent who have been awarded a financial aid scholarship from the Moe and Arlene Greendale Endowment Fund. This fund has been established to memorialize and honor the Greendales, who, through their gift, desire to perpetuate access to musical excellence, which at one time was generously extended to Mr. Greendale.
The Thibaudet Scholars, named for renowned pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet, are instrumentalists in the Music Academy who have received scholarship to support their tuition costs. These awards recognize the generosity of our donors and Mr. Thibaudet’s continued artistic involvement and dedication. The Colburn School appreciates Martine and Dan Drackett, John and Carole Moran, and Catherine and Jean-François Heitz for their contributions to the Thibaudet Scholars.
The need of our current students and potential applicants consistently outweighs our available funds. If you would like to help us do more to support the futures of these exceptional students by providing philanthropic support to the Colburn Music Academy, please contact advancement@colburnschool.edu.
To be considered for financial aid of any kind, a Parents’ Financial Statement (PFS) must be submitted at sssbynais.org, along with all required supplemental materials. Failure to fully complete the application and supplemental materials will result in ineligibility to be considered for financial aid.
Financial Aid Application
Applicants who successfully pass the prescreening stage are required to come to the Colburn School in Los Angeles for an in-person audition. The audition repertoire guidelines remain the same as the prescreening round. Substitutions may be made upon request.
In addition to the live audition, applicants may participate in group interviews and meetings with Music Academy faculty or staff.
Audition dates for the 2021–22 school year will be posted in December.
If your instrument is not listed above and you are invited to audition, the date will be scheduled on an individual basis.