Piano World Home Page Forums Our Most Popular Forums Pianist Corner Questions About Julliard

Not at all ridiculous. The audition requirements are set and very democratic: a WTC piece, a complete Classical Era sonata, a substantial Romantic Era piece, two concert etudes, and an impressive piece from a different era than the above (this would typically be a 20th cent. work). It's straightforward: if you can play this repertoire absolutely note perfect and from memory and with plenty of pizzaz, you've got a chance to get in.

Trust me Gyro, if I can develop my talent that well, then you can bet that I will definently go for it. I am sure there are other schools that are still good in the music arts. The thing that does worry me, is that since I am pretty much best at the arts, which is a competitive field, I am afraid I will not get a job in that field.

If you don't learn how to spell their name, you ain't gonna have NO chance.

I spelled it right in the title.

No you didn't.

Actually, no, you didn't.

Oops. You said that already.

Juilliard has an 'i' before the two els.

"The School was named for Augustus Juilliard, a wealthy textile merchant whose bequest was used to establish the Juilliard Graduate School in 1924. In 1926, it merged with the Institute for Musical Art to become the Juilliard School of Music. With the additions of a Dance Division in 1951 and Drama Division in 1968, the name was shortened to The Juilliard School." (from their website)

So like, Ju-ill-i-ard

You don't need to get into Juilliard in order to find a career in the arts.

And to be blatantly honest, you gotta be pretty damn talented and already playing collegiate material well to get in. There's nothing ridiculous about it. It's just the standard for the environment and learning curve.

Having a job in the arts is more about what kind of job you want and how enterprising you are than where you went to school.

This is true. I practice a lot, but I am in in the ninth grade, and I just started piano last year. Even with a big passion, can I make it into Juilliard or another good music college with that kind of experience?

It depends on what kind of experience you make for yourself over the next four years. You could really improve a ton with the right kind of practice and passion, and it sounds like you've got the passion. I'd say go for it - why not? Most people at Juilliard have been playing for many more years, but ultimately it's the skill that matters, not the number of years. And whether you get in or not, or even audition, why not try to be the best that you can be anyway?

I really empathize with you, because I started piano in 6th grade and also had dreams to be a major concert pianist, even though I was relatively late to the game. I certainly had a ton of passion and practiced a lot. I decided in the end not to audition for Juilliard (because I didn't have the right repertoire yet), but ended up going to the University of Michigan instead and got a terrific education. The faculty there is amazing.

Now I'm getting ready for a PhD in musicology, which in the end actually suits me much more than being a concert pianist. I love it and am already making a name for myself. Kreisler's right in that the music business is really a huge field, and there's soooo much you can do with it. When I was in high school, I thought being a concert pianist was the only option, but the experience of being in music school and pursuing my own projects really opened my eyes up to so many new possibilities.

But go for Juilliard to be a concert pianist, if that's what you want - again, what matters is the experience you make for yourself over the next four years, not the fact that you started last year!

What kind of experience? You have to get some kind of experience before talking about having "that kind" of experience.

As much as I'd like to de-emphasize technique, it's probably about the only thing that's objective and easy to evaluate.

I'm saying this because I went to a concert in which a recent Juilliard grad performed the Rach 2. Technically, I think she hit the vast majority of the notes (except for notably missing a note in the 3rd chord of the piece). But she ignored the orchestra. Aside from almost always coming in early, at one point in the 3rd movement, she must have been about 2 beats ahead of the orchestra, for about 1 minute (!!) as the conductor kept signalling her, and since I sat in first row, I heard him counting out the beat for her... but she was in her own little world. The conductor was very frustrusted and ended up shaking his head...

And her phrasing was... monotonous to put it nicely.

Without a doubt, many of us here on pianoworld can play better than she does (with practice). So I thought, if she could get in, it's probably mostly because of her technique, less so her musicianship.

I suppose it says something about how musicianship is supposed to improved with age if Juilliard was willing to take a chance on her.

On the other hand, 2 teachers I've talked to have mentioned how the quality of piano students, including Juilliard, has been steadily going downhill in the past two decades. So maybe those who got into Juilliard in the 2000s won't get in in the 1960s.

So I guess I'm trying to say that, if you work hard, you do have a chance! In the 1960s, I suppose if you're still working on Fur Elise now, there's none. Today, if you get your technique up, and play more musically than most, you might be that lucky 5% or so.

I wish I have more data points. I know a couple string students at Juilliard and while one of them is top-notch, I'm surprised by the very poor sightreading skill of the other. Don't know any pianists though.

And by the way the top-notch one is thinking of transferring out to a non-conservatory or doing a joint-program. Looks like this person is also top-notch enough to realize the realities of the world.

+1

When I refer to experience, I mean musical experience. You experience new things in music a lot of the time and you usually learn from them, no?

I'm sure Bruce fully understands. What he's asking is WHAT experience (do you have?) and the answer is relatively none. Thus his statement that "You have to get some kind of experience before talking about having "that kind" of experience."

My 16-year-old son dreams of going to a conservatory when he graduates from high school. His violin teacher supports this idea, but his youth orchestra conductor no longer advises his students to do this because of the lack of job opportunities for classical musicians today. I am unsure what to tell my son. I'm inclined to tell him to follow his passion. I reason that, if necessary, he can always give violin lessons.

On the other hand, we also know a young woman who just graduated from college with a degree in music who is already going back to school to become a nurse. It's very discouraging, but I hate for my son to give up on his dreams. I hope that Kreisler is right and that having a job in the arts is more about how enterprising you are.

Laura

A few months ago, I interviewed for admission to a PhD program in musicology. The first question they asked me (and every other applicant) was: "Given the huge emotional commitment, financial commitment, and educational commitment of pursuing a PhD in music, and given the strong likelihood that, in the end, it might not even get you a job, why would you possibly want to do this to yourself?" It's a hard question!

But as long as communities such as our exist - as long as a Evgeny Kissin can still sell-out Carnegie Hall and come back for 10 curtain calls - there will be jobs for classical musicians. There may not be jobs for all classical musicians, but there will be jobs and demand for some, and that's justification enough for someone who's incredibly passionate about music to pursue this career. Many people never find their passion - they sit in a cubicle, as the cliché goes, and count the minutes until the day is over. To have found a job that you really love doing is such a blessing, that it would seem almost foolish to throw it away in exchange for something boring but lucrative, wouldn't it?