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.
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 tightly-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. The Residential Life program plans various student activities, including movie nights, trips to Little Tokyo for boba tea amusement park trips, 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 other options on Bunker Hill and in 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 around the world, nationally, regionally, and locally. Colburn strives to maintain and develop a diverse, inclusive, and supportive educational environment. As a result, everyone thrives in a healthy learning and living environment, developing the artist and the individual.
A video recording is required as part of the application in order to be considered for an audition invitation. You must include the listed repertoire for your instrument and upload it directly to your application; please refer to the repertoire page for specific requirements. Professional or studio recordings are not required, but the sound quality should be as optimal as possible.
Live auditions typically take place in March on campus at the Colburn School. We will be making a decision on whether auditions will be virtual or in-person in late January, based on world conditions related to the pandemic. In addition to the audition, applicants may also take part in an interview, an English assessment, and/or a music theory assessment.
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 diplomas. The intensive components of Music Academy instruction and associated activities take place at various times during the week, and students must complete their state-mandated academic education requirements through an external accredited K-12 school. Colburn has relationships with high school programs, 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 artists and human beings.
Since the fall of 2018, the Colburn School has partnered with Oak Crest Academy (OCA), an accredited independent academic school for gifted and talented students, to provide a curated high-school
program for Music Academy, Dance Academy and Community School of Performing Arts students at Colburn. OCA offers 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 6 campuses; Oak Park, Tarzana, Pomona, Harvard, Pasadena, and in Los Angeles at the Colburn School.
The Oak Crest program allows efficiency and flexibility for students seeking more time to pursue their music studies while offering a rigorous academic education, and includes:
Tuition for each student enrolled in the OCA program is set at approximately $9,735.00 per year (final tuition amount will be finalized by April 2023). Tuition may be paid in full or in installments. There is a $165 application fee and a $2.75% 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 may be 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.
Additional high school options may be available, by approval from the Provost with Laurel Springs School.
For more information, contact Joe Mobile at jmobile@laurelsprings.com.
Margaret Batjer, Violin, Academy Virtuosi Martin Beaver, Violin Henry Gronnier, Violin Fabiola Kim, Violin Joan Kwuon, Violin Robert Lipsett, Violin Gina Coletti, Viola Teng Li, Viola Tatjana Masurenko, Viola Clive Greensmith, Cello Peter Lloyd, Double Bass JoAnn Turovsky, Harp
James Walker, Flute Yehuda Gilad, Clarinet Richard Beene, Bassoon Aaron Tindall, Tuba Edward Atkatz, Percussion
Fabio Bidini, Piano HyeJin Kim, Piano (Asst. to Mr. Bidini) Micah Yui, Piano
Note: Faculty for instruments not listed above are drawn from the Colburn Conservatory of Music.
Tamsin Carlson, Movement for Musicians Deborah Devine, Presentational Skills Michaela Eremiasova, Music Theory and Ear Training Vera Ivanova, Music Theory and Ear Training Samuel Grodin, Keyboard Harmony 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 $17,500 for the 2023–24 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 is honored to welcome students of all backgrounds and nationalities to our Los Angeles campus. With “access to excellence” at the core of what we do, we aim to reduce financial barriers and recognize the excellence of our students through special scholarships as well as full and partial scholarship awards based on demonstrated financial need, which are made possible by our generous donor community.
Kohl Scholars are students receiving full room, board, and tuition scholarships to support their total Colburn experience. Terri and Jerry Kohl created this scholarship to make Colburn accessible to and competitive for deserving students in violin and piano studios in the Music Academy.
Greendale Scholars are students who have been awarded a scholarship from the Moe and Arlene Greendale Endowment Fund based on demonstrated financial need. The Greendale Fund was 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 discretionary scholarships to make their studies more accessible. These awards recognize the generosity of our donors and Mr. Thibaudet’s continued artistic involvement and dedication.
The financial 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 philanthropy@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 will participate in an live audition process. 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 also take part in an interview, an English assessment, and/or a music theory assessment.
Auditions will take place in March; more information will be shared with applicants who pass the prescreening round.
The Music Academy application requires you to submit basic biographical information, pre-screening videos, a resume, and a letter of recommendation. The application fee is $80.
Here are some helpful hints as you prepare your application:
Your resume should include:
Letter of recommendation: We require a letter of recommendation by a professional musician who can attest to your musical background. Upload the letter directly to the application. The letter may also be mailed to:
Colburn Music Academy 200 South Grand Avenue Los Angeles, CA 90012
Note: your application and enrollment fee is non-refundable.